The Fine Line
by TheRealAmeliaPond
Summary: Post DH. Teddy Lupin. A story about the fine line between friend and lover, love and hate, and the crazy effect us women have on men... and vice versa. Some sexually explicit scenes, beware if you're not into that.
1. Prologue

**Hey you guys! I finished Deathly Hallows and as soon as I learned about Teddy, I was extremely intrigued. I spent monday brainstorming ideas and then I started writing this. I'm really excited because I don't know of any other Teddy Lupin fics yet, so there's a chance I might be the first person!**

**Okay, this doesn't have a lot of JK Rowling's famous unseen plot twists, but as my loyal readers know, that's not really my foray. My strengths lie in writing love stories. :) Although this chapter is hardly romantic, it's really more of a 'laying the foundations' chapter. **

**So I hope everyone will enjoy it! Let me know how you like it!**

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**Prologue**

"Oh, Ted," Andromeda swooned, grinning at her grandson. "Don't you look handsome?"

"Gram…" Teddy grumbled, though he didn't really mind her sighs and weepy goodbyes, as evident by his only partially embarrassed smile.

"Cut her some slack, Teddy," Ginny cut in, smiling at him and ruffling his bright blue hair. "You are quite the looker."

"Thanks," he muttered, returning their smiles.

"Blimey," Harry said to Teddy. "Why so shy? I've never heard you be so quiet in your entire life."

"I don't know anyone, Harry," Teddy said softly to his godfather, glancing around at all the other children, all of whom seemed to have a million friends already, while he knew no one.

"You know me!" James piped up excitedly, grabbing at Teddy's left leg and latching on around his lower thigh. "You can take me with you!"

"Me 'oo!" shouted Albus, grinning as he threw himself on Teddy's other leg, latching on at his knee.

"Ah, ah, ah," Harry tisked, detaching James and Albus from Teddy's appendages. "You two have to stay with us."

"Aw…" Albus groaned, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

"Why?" James whined, looking up at Harry.

"Because _you_ have to stay home and help me with Al," Ginny said to James, setting her hand on his head. James still did not abandon his pout, but the answer seemed to satisfy him. "And _you_, my cheeky monkey," Ginny said, directing this comment to Albus, "I will simply miss you too much to let you go."

"Mummy!" Albus moaned, clasping his little hands together in a desperate plea, staring up at his mother with sad puppy eyes.

"If you go, you're gonna miss Mummy having her baby," Harry warned him. Albus gasped, then clung to his mother's side with the tenacity of a blood-sucking leech.

"Sowwee, Teddy," Albus said, his voice muffled as his head was pressed up against Ginny's side.

"S'okay," Teddy laughed.

Just then, Harry's watch beeped at him.

"Only five minutes," he read off. "Okay, let's say our goodbyes. Our _real_ goodbyes."

"Good luck, Ted," Ginny said, quickly corralling him into a hug. "Not that you need it, but still. Promise you'll write us?"

"Of course," Teddy assured her. Though Ginny wasn't technically related to him, Teddy had come to think of her as a surrogate mother, just as Harry was a sort of surrogate father.

"We love you, Teddy!" both James and Albus declared, rushing up to Teddy after Ginny had stepped back. He kneeled down to give them each a proper hug. Just like with Ginny and Harry, James and Albus and even the new baby were definitely part of his family; for all intents and purposes, they were his younger brothers and potential sister or brother.

"I love you too," Teddy said, ruffling both their hair, although there was very little change, as both the boys had inherited James's untidy hair. "You be good for your Mum, both of you! I'll see you at Christmas."

"Your room will be ready for you as soon as you get off for break," Ginny said, prying the boys off of Teddy. Teddy lived with Harry and Ginny, and so that Andromeda could be close to him, they had let her move in.

Then his grandmother came up to him and gave him a hug as well. He knew would miss them all terribly, his grandmother most of all, as she was the only link he had left to his mother. She smelt of peppermint and her flowery soap, and Teddy took a deep whiff, enjoying it for when she wouldn't be around at school.

"Goodbye, darling," she said, getting teary-eyed. She simply gazed at him for a few moments, memorizing his face. "Goodness, you look so much like Dora… course, there's plenty of your father, but just remind me of her so…" She offered a watery grin, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll make them proud, Gram," Teddy assured her, speaking so low that only she would hear it.

"Oh my dear boy," she smiled, tears rolling down her cheek. "You already have."

He gave her one last hug and murmured, "I love you, Gram," in her ear.

"I'll help you get your things on board," Harry said once Teddy and Andromeda had finished saying goodbye, grabbing his trunk. "Here, Ted, grab Samson's cage and your book bag and I'll get your trunk."

"Bye, guys," Teddy said to them all. There was a general murmur of farewell and then the two of them brought all of his things and set them on the train.

"Thanks, Harry," Teddy said, smiling unsurely.

"Ted, don't worry about a thing," Harry insisted, recognizing his expression immediately. "You will love Hogwarts."

"What if I don't understand the classes?" Teddy asked, looking down at his trainers.

"They aren't terribly difficult, and you're a smart lad," Harry assured him. "You'll catch on."

"What if the teachers are psycho?"

"That's completely inevitable, Ted."

"How can I get to the kitchens after hours without getting caught?"

"With this," Harry said, reaching into his jacket to retrieve a folded-up old cloak. He gazed at it nostalgically for a moment—Teddy had the rather stupid thought that Harry felt as though he owed his life to it—and then handed it to Teddy.

"What's this?" Teddy asked, feeling the silky material in his fingers.

"My Invisibility Cloak," Harry told him, beaming at it.

"No way," Teddy said, gazing at it with wide eyes, his mouth hanging agape. "Harry, I can't—"

"Yeah you can," Harry said, not allowing him to attempt to give it back. "Oh, and this is for you too." He reached into his jacket again and pulled out a piece of tattered, yellowed old parchment, handing it to Teddy as well. "The Marauder's Map."

"And it is…?"

"A map of Hogwarts. You can see every passage, every floor, every room and every person in Hogwarts at all times. And the most exciting part?" Harry pointed to the names listed atop the front page.

"Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs…" Teddy read off, then looked up at Harry. "Who are they?"

"Prongs was my dad," Harry said, "Padfoot was Sirius, we don't really care about Wormtail, and Mooney was your dad."

"No joke?" he asked excitedly.

"No joke," Harry confirmed, glad that Teddy liked the map so much. "Your dad gave it to me in my third year, ironically after he'd confiscated it from me. Me and Gin think you ought to have it."

"Really?" Teddy asked, his face lighting up.

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding. "The only thing we ask in that you pass it on to James once you graduate."

"Of course," Teddy agreed enthusiastically.

"Anymore irrational questions?" Harry asked good-naturedly.

"Sorry…" Teddy sighed, grinning. "I'm just nervous."

"I know," Harry said, "that's what's so hard to wrap my mind around. You're Teddy Lupin! Fearless conqueror of air and land! I remember when you were a toddler, you used to turn round the neighborhood in your nappy and charm the pants off all the neighbors. Just last week you were chatting up that new neighbor girl and seeing how far off the ground you'd have to be to jump off your broom and still be able to summon it before you hit the ground. All I can say is it's a damn good thing that they make Self-summoning brooms nowadays, otherwise you'd be dead."

"I know, I know," Teddy sighed, kicking the floor. "I just… how am I supposed to make any friends with my… you know." Teddy widened his eyes, trying to signal to Harry what he meant.

"Ted, you've got it under control," Harry assured him. "You have the lunar calendar, and we'll remind you in our letters when the full moon is coming. Then when it does, just go up to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey will help you out. And don't worry about making friends, you are an awesome kid and you'll make friends in no time."

Just then, the warning whistle blared, signaling that there was only a minute till the train would pull away from Platform 9 ¾.

"I gotta go," Harry said, hopping of the train. "But word to the wise: a great way to make friends is to go sit with someone who's alone in a compartment. And try for another First Year, you can always tell them because they're not wearing the uniform yet." Harry waved a hand at Teddy's clothes which were also street clothes—a t-shirt, slim jeans and a pair of trainers.

"Alright, thanks," Teddy said, suddenly beginning to feel very alone, even though Harry was still standing right in front of him.

"Teddy, relax!" Harry said, smiling. "Trust me, Hogwarts has a strange way of making you feel remarkably at home."

He had barely finished the word 'home' before the Hogwarts Express began to chug to life.

"You'll be great, Teddy!" Harry called, stepping back by Ginny, the boys and Andromeda.

"Be good!" Andromeda shouted, waving as tears glistened in her eyes.

"Have fun!" Ginny yelled, smiling proudly.

"Not too much!" Andromeda added, the motherly tone all too evident in her voice.

Teddy waved to them until the Hogwarts Express had turned a corner, leaving Platform 9 ¾ out of sight but far from out of mind.

He figured it would probably be a good idea to attempt to use Harry's advice, seeing as he couldn't stand in the hallway for the rest of the day. He grabbed the handle on his trunk, readjusted his grip on Samson's—his Great Horned Owl's—cage and set off down the hallway.

As Teddy trudged down the aisle way with his fellow classmates hustling and bustling up and down it as well, there seemed to be an infinite amount of empty compartments. Teddy knew that the birth rate from the year he was born and the couple of years previous were notoriously low, seeing as Voldemort had been running about and no one had wanted to bring a child into the world, but he suspected that the reason there seemed to be so many free compartments was because he wanted so badly to enter one and simply sit alone. But he knew Harry was right; if he was ever gonna meet some friends he'd have to suck it up and do it.

Almost as if by divine intervention, the next compartment he came to was entirely empty save for small, rather gangly girl about his age, with bluish eyes, somewhat stylish black-rimmed glasses, and honey-colored hair. Plus, she was wearing street clothes—a swishy skirt, combat boots, a hooded t-shirt and headphones as big as earmuffs—and as Harry had said, that usually signaled a First Year. She seemed innocuous enough, kind and even intriguing. Weird in a good way, like himself. Teddy figured he probably wouldn't find a better prospect for a friend, so he slid the door open a bit.

"Do you mind if I share the compartment with you?" Teddy asked, poking his head in. She did not seem to notice, as she continued to stare out the train window with a thoughtful look plastered on her face, and after a moment Teddy realized it was because the music coming through her headphones was too loud for her to hear properly. He stepped into the compartment and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

The instant his finger met her shoulder, she jumped up, startled to the nth degree. The reaction resembled some scene from a melodrama, only Teddy was somehow sure it was entirely genuine. This vast overreaction even caused Teddy to jump out of his skin, his heart sent racing.

"Goodness, you scared me," the girl said once she realized Teddy wasn't a serial killer or a gone-mad ex-Death Eater on a killing rampage, putting her hand her chest.

"You scared me too," Teddy said, letting out a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

"What do you have to be scared of?" the girl asked, straightening her glasses, which had shifted during her overreaction. If anyone else had used her tone, they might've been seen as rude, haughty even, but something about her made Teddy believe otherwise. "I don't see anyone sneaking up on you. Or are you simply scared of oddballs armed with combat boots and headphones?"

She said it with a good-natured smile upon her face. Teddy liked her smile; it seemed very honest and real, nothing about it forced or fake.

"No, I'm afraid of girls in glasses with crazy reactions," Teddy said, returning the smile. She let out a giggle, but not a giggle like those brainless halfwits who took pride in flipping their hair and finding their perfect shade of lip gloss from a quiz in Witch Weekly. It was more like a cute little laugh, a burst of melodious sound.

"I'm sorry," she sighed with a smile, pulling her headphones off her ears so they rested at her neck. "I scare easily."

"Really," Teddy said sarcastically, laughing a bit. "D'you mind if I share the compartment?"

"No other friends to sit with?" she asked sympathetically.

"Um... no, but if you'd rather alone, I can leave…" Teddy muttered sheepishly, scooting back towards the door.

"No, don't go!" she said desperately, grabbing his arm. "I'm sorry again, I'm afraid I don't have a lot of tact. Or any, really. But honestly, if you really don't have any friends, please stay. I haven't got any either."

"Well, I don't have any here," Teddy said, sitting down on the seat opposite of her.

"Same," she said. "But I don't see how you don't have any friends. I mean," she leaned forward and waved her hand at his hair, "you've have wicked blue hair, mate! It's bloody fantastic!"

"Your hair's cool too, though," Teddy said truthfully. For the most part it was normal, the warm honey tone and the straight texture, but she had thick, full fringe that cut right above her eyes. It wasn't a particularly trendy cut, but it suited her face and personality to perfection.

"Oh please," she said, shrugging off the comment. "I'm blonde with bangs, you can find that by the dozen here. So did you dye it, or what?"

"Oh, my hair?" Teddy said, his hand jumping to it almost involuntarily. "I didn't dye it, my mum was a Metamorph and now I am too."

"Nice," the girl said, missing his accidental slip. "So what's your name?"

"Teddy Lupin," he said.

"Ah, Cassandra Devereaux," she said, extending her hand out for him to shake. "Cass, actually." They shook hands and then sat there for a moment. "So, are you the oldest, middle, youngest or only?"

"Child, right?" Teddy asked, and Cass nodded. "Only."

"Aw, too bad," Cass said, tilting her head.

"I'm guessing you're not," he commented.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "I am the oldest of six."

"Six?" he asked incredulously, his mouth hanging agape.

"Yup," she said, raising her eye brows. "My parents were pretty hippie-ish and weren't big into birth control." She looked like was going to continue for a moment, but instead embarked on a new topic. "So what about your parents? Not into big families?"

"Uh…" Teddy stammered. He always dreaded questions people asked him about his parents. He wasn't ashamed—far from it—but if he lied about them he'd feel badly, but if he told the truth, he'd be peppered with "I'm sorry"s and pity. "They… died. A couple months after I was born."

He looked down, fidgeting with his fingers. He furtively glanced at Cass, expecting to see shock and pity playing across her face.

But there seemed to be none. She did—however—look like she wanted to say something, but couldn't figure out what.

"Listen, Teddy, I lost my mum too," she said, leaning forward, propping herself up with her elbows on her knees. "When she gave birth to my younger sisters, there was some… complication or something. And my dad loved her so much and was so devastated by it that he followed within a year. So I know what you're feeling, I suppose. I know what it's like for people to look at me like I'm some grieving basket case." She paused for a second. "So I won't say I'm sorry or that it's terrible because we already know that both are true. I'll listen if you wanna talk, but you don't have to."

Teddy looked at her for a moment, scarcely believing that she was real.

"For someone who doesn't have any tact, that was pretty well said," Teddy managed to say, offering a small smile.

"Yeah, well," she said with a big smile, "I never said I didn't have my moments."

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**Sorry, couldn't think of a better way to end it, I just wrote it and I was like, hey that's not bad! **

**Please review! I really, REALLY wanna know how you guys like it. Even if you hate it, tell me! Flames are accepted, but not exactly welcomed. If you don't like it, then just tell me what was bad about it, not that it sucked terribly. **

**A new chapter will be up soon!**

**mmb**


	2. Seven Years

**Hey everyone! Guess who's being good and decided to update? Me! Lol.**

**Sorry for the perkiness, I'm feeling very happy right now. Dunno why, just am. **

**Alright, I want to forewarn you that there's not a whole lot of action in this chapter. It is, unfortunately, another 'setting the scene' chapter. It is entertaining, but not a lot of plot. I promise, next chapter there is PLENTY of action.**

**Okay, happy reading!**

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**Chapter One: Seven Years**

Teddy groaned loudly, running his fingers through his hair frustratedly. He was a freakin' kamikaze. What had been running thought his mind he had applied for seven NEWTs? Even Professor Moreno had advised against it, citing not a lack of faith in his abilities, but her concern for his sanity. The fact was, there was a massive difference between taking seven NEWTs and taking the standard five, which Teddy was—unfortunately—discovering the hard way.

But Professor Moreno had been right, as she had an annoying tendency to be—the way she had tendencies to be seemingly way too hot to be a teacher and to receive marriage proposals about once a week from sex-crazed and often repeat-offender male students—and now he was at his desk at midnight, his dorm empty but for himself. It was a Saturday night and everyone who actually had a life was out on a date or doing something else that could constitute fun, because they could all afford to go out since their minds were all at ease about their NEWTs, as they weren't complete nutters and were all taking five.

He shook his head, trying to focus himself back on the subject at hand: Ancient Runes. Professor Foster had been kind enough to hand out a study guide for the Ancient Runes NEWT. Of course, it was twenty five pages long, but it was better than in Transfiguration, where teacher/supermodel Professor Moreno had simply told them to spend their weekend rereading the textbook and taking notes all over again. He squinted at the next question: _what is the name of the rune symbol used at the start of every sentence to indicate the tense? List all modern tenses and their corresponding symbol. _At that, Teddy contemplated jumping out the dorm window.

He knew at that moment he definitely needed some back up.

Teddy gathered up his notes, study guides and other miscellaneous papers and set them to the side of his desk in a neat pile. As he set them aside, his eyes were drawn to a picture frame placed carefully at the corner. It was a picture of him and his mum and dad the day he was born. He picked it up and examined it for what he was sure was the fifty-millionth time. It was his absolutely favorite picture of all time. Mum was laying in a hospital bed, Teddy just a small bundle with tangerine orange peach-fuzz like hair poking out from the blanket, and Dad with his arm around Mum. The two of them were smiling and waving at the camera, pausing only to gaze meaningfully at each other and give each other soft, loving kisses.

Teddy remembered the day Harry had given him this picture; whenever Mum and Dad had kissed each other he'd cringed and emitted a loud "EW!", as he'd been only five. But now he found it sweet, reassuring even. He grinned at it, and set it

He pulled open his top desk drawer—organized meticulously with all his paper, pens, pencils, erasers and other school supplies all carefully in their respective cubby holes in the organizer tray—and grabbed a small drawstring bag in some unknown but ridiculously silky material, extracting from it a small mirror. He held it up to his face.

"Cass," he spoke into the mirror, annunciating clearly. He had learned to do this the hard way: once, while trying to summon Cass in a hurry, he had minced his words and, for reasons unknown to Teddy, the image of someone's posterior had appeared on the mirror.

He waited a few moments for a response. Suddenly the mirror—which had previously been reflecting his face and his bright blue hair standing on end in a spiky mess that rivaled Harry's, James's, Albus's, and Cyrus's hair—became pitch black.

"Cass?" Teddy called softly, tapping on the glass.

No response.

"_Cassie!"_ Teddy called in a high-pitched sing-song voice. _"Oh Cassandra!"_

"Call me that again," came a muffled, slightly hoarse voice, "and I will string you up to the ceiling by your nuts and poke you incessantly with a white-hot poker."

"Someone is in a spectacular mood," he commented with a smile, the glass still dark. "What are you doing?"

"I'm discovering new physical laws of the magical universe," Cass mumbled lazily, her tired face appearing in the glass. Teddy laughed. "What, you don't believe me?"

"Nope, try again," Teddy said, chuckling a bit.

"Alright, I'm competing in a Miss Magic pageant against Grawp," Cass added, jokingly enthusiastic. She glanced to the left and to the right and then back to him, holding up a hand to her mouth as though she was about to impart a juicy secret. "I'm kicking his ass."

"A swing and a miss," Teddy sighed jokingly, amused.

"Okay, I know you'll like this one," Cass exclaimed, smiling. "I'm in a closet on the fifth floor and I just took a break from a three hour make-out session with Tristan Pearce!"

"Cass, you're gonna make me sick," Teddy groaned, cringing at the mere thought of that slimey bastard with his hands all over his best friend—who was as good as his little sister.

"Oh Ted, calm down," she told him, frustrated. "This is me we're talking about! And you know me, I'm fucking boring! I went to bed two hours ago and you just woke me up!"

"Oh," he sighed, not amused this time. He'd just have to stick it out himself. "In that case, don't worry about it. Go back to sleep."

"Oh ha ha, you're hilarious," she droned sarcastically. He heard some shuffling sounds in the background and the glass temporarily went black again, but he still heard Cass add, "Where are you?"

"That's a good question for you as well," Teddy shot back, trying to find her in the mirror. "Where'd you go?"

"I'm getting dressed and I turned the mirror away to eliminate a peep show." He heard drawers opening and the swish of clothes being pulled out.

"Forget it, get some sleep," he insisted, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Where are you?" she asked again, acting as thought he hadn't said a thing.

"Cass."

"Where are you?"

"I mean it, go to sleep."

"Where are you?"

"Sleep, woman!"

"Okay, I'll find out myself," she said impatiently, coming back into the mirror. She glanced around behind Teddy for a few moments. "Ah, you're in the dorm. I'll be there in a sec."

"I'm serious," he said forcefully. "It's not that big a deal, it's just studying for my NEWTs."

"Alright, give me five minutes," she said, gathering up some textbooks in her arms.

"Cass!" Teddy protested, finally losing patience with her. "Shut up and go to sleep!"

"Up yours, Ted," she said in an offhanded way. She glanced around, like she was checking to make sure she'd gotten everything. "Alright, I'm coming." She put on a big cheesy smile. "Love you!"

"I hate you," Teddy grumbled.

After Cass's face—with her tongue sticking out—disappeared from the mirror, Teddy sighed and tucked the mirror back into the drawstring bag, placing it carefully back in its appropriate cubbyhole in the drawer organizer tray. Then he simply sat there, twiddling his thumbs.

Seven years of having Cass as a best friend had been extremely interesting for Teddy, to say the least. Before entering Hogwarts, Teddy'd had a few friends, mostly children that also lived on their street, but they were more superficial playmates than actual friends. So meeting Cass—who was far too honest and deep to be just a 'playmate'—was a bit of a rude awakening, minus the rude part.

But having an omnipresent best friend grew on Teddy quickly, as did Cass's many quirks. To start off, Cass would go through food phases. When Teddy first met her on the train, she happened to be in the middle of a Caesar salad phase. A week or so later, she was over it and was on a popcorn kick. After that it was an obsessive love for nectarines, and so on and so forth.

Another thing about Cass was not what she ate, but how she ate it. Of course she still had her food phases, but that wasn't to say she didn't eat full meals as well. And every time she did, it was way too efficient for someone who wasn't organized about a single thing except this. It was an immensely strange experience to watch her eat. To start, none of the food could touch on her plate, else it was "tainted" (but she would still deign to eat it at the speed of smell—because she simply refused to waste the food—all the while with a pitiful grimace on her face, until Teddy came to the rescue and ate it for her). But if she didn't have anything touching, she even consumed the food strategically: start with vegetables, then the starchy side-dish, lastly the meat. It was always in that order, and every last scrap of each section had to be consumed before moving onto the next.

Then he'd noticed that Cass had an extremely odd habit of chewing out thumbholes in the cuffs of her hooded jackets. At first Teddy'd thought that it had simply been a fluke, that maybe she'd had to get them second-hand, so he'd never asked about it. Until, that is, he noticed her mowing holes through them with her front teeth.

"Nervous habit," she'd explained with an embarrassed smile after he'd asked her what on earth she was doing.

"Doesn't it bother you?" he'd asked. "Having fraying holes in your cuffs?"

"Not particularly," she'd shrugged. "I've always thought thumbholes were kinda cool."

And—of course—there was her fashion sense. It wasn't so much that she had _bad_ fashion sense, more that she didn't have any at all. That being said, her outfits—always completed with one of her three total pairs of shoes (black combat boots, high-top Converse that were capable of changing color, and simple brown flip-flops) and a yellow cocktail ring that had been her mother's—always remarkably seemed to look good on her. On anyone else the pieces clashed, giving them the appearance that they'd gotten dressed in the dark, but she always had a knack for making things fit together.

But despite Cass's many quirks—many not listed here—she was incredibly real and caring and honest. And there wasn't another person like her. As Teddy'd summed her up the first time he'd seen her, she was weird, but in a good way.

"Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-DOO!" Cass said, creating a superhero-esque theme song for herself from outside him dorm door. She ten kicked the door open and bounded into the room, her head tilted skyward and her hands on her hips heroically. "Super Cass to the rescue!"

Teddy chuckled, shaking his head. Cass even had a red bath towel tied around her neck as the rest draped down her back over her plaid flannel pajama bottoms and camisole.

"You've really outdone yourself with these entrances lately," Teddy commented with an amused smile. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you, thank you," Cass said in a queenly voice, doing about three very deep bows, tossing her hair over her head and back with each one. Once she stopped with a small giggle, she glanced around the door, familiarizing herself with it. "Wow, I've never been in here before. I feel so naughty."

She glanced around at the five beds and surrounding areas, each belonging to one of Teddy's dorm mates.

"Ha, six guesses which one is yours," she said, jumping on Teddy's meticulously made bed. "God, you're such a neat freak. You're a bloke Ted, you need to have dirty underpants lying around and a week old sandwich fermenting under your mattress."

"Forgive me, I'll get on that immediately," Teddy said, going to his underwear drawer. He pulled out a pair of boxers and casually threw it at the bed, letting it fall where it may. "The sandwich is on the way."

"Ooooo," she said, sitting up and snatching the boxers. She held them up and examined them with a playful grin.

"They're clean, if that's what you're wondering," Teddy remarked, chuckling.

"Nah that's not it," she told him, shaking her head. She glanced at him, her eyes mischievous behind her glasses. "Do you know how much money I could get for these in the girls' dorms? Your little groupies would go into a frenzy."

"I do not have groupies," he muttered embarrassedly, sitting back down at his desk.

"You don't?" Cass asked sarcastically, conjuring herself a desk chair and sitting beside Teddy. "Then what do you like to call the flock of swooning females that all take turns asking you out?"

"Delusional."

"Ah," she said, rolling her eyes. "Dunno what you're so embarrassed about, if I had that many guys running after me I'd milk it for all its worth. I'd have them carrying me to class and doing my homework… in fact, I just would have had one of my minions bound into the room with the cape. I'd have called him…" she glanced upward with a thoughtful look, "Super Groupie."

"Ha ha, very funny," he said, grabbing his Ancient Runes study guide and handing it to Cass. "Quiz me."

"Ah, ah, ah," Cass tisked, raising her eyebrows. "I have a stipulation."

"I'm not taking Roxanne out," Teddy said immediately before Cass could even suggest it. Roxanne was Cass's sole girl friend and the president of his fan club.

"I know, I wasn't gonna ask. Roxie's over you," Cass said dismissively, waving her hand. "I need you to help me get back at Anna Sinclair."

"Uh oh," Teddy said cautiously. "That doesn't sound very promising."

"All you have to do is wait for me to come down to the party," she assured him, using a tone that people used specifically for convincing people of things. "She's such a jealous nut-job that this'll be all that it taking to make her jealous. And you have to promise not to give in to her girlish charms."

"What if I want to?" he asked. Anna may have topped Cass's most hated list, but with her black wavy hair, porcelain skin and navy blue eyes, she was nearly at the bottom of his, right above Gram, Harry and Ginny, the kids, and Cass.

"Teddy! Control your hormones for one night!"

"Fine!" he sighed. "I promise!"

"Alright." She grinned, satisfied with his answer as she took the study guide. "Let's do this."

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**Did'ja like it? If you did review! Hated it? Review! Not sure? Review!**

**Alright, I used to do thank you's at the ends of chapters, but I seem to have stopped doing it lately. So here I am, reinstating it! A big thanks to:**

**1. My three favorite people on this site: XxStephXx, Anonymous Marauder, and Lyny Angell. Thanks to XxStephXx for reviewing, and for just generally being awesome. Thanks to Anonymous Marauder for beta-ing this chapter AND still agreeing to review for it. And thanks to Lyny Angell for all her encouragement and reviews! Love you all.**

**2. The other three reviewers for last chapter: Padfootatheart, A.Mess.Of.Flaws, and Chelsea. I appreciate all the support so much! Please review again! (Oh and a special note to A.Mess.Of.Flaws, your name is my middle name! I have never met another Alix with an 'i'. Lol sorry I get excited about stuff like that...)**

**3. To you, the new reader. I hope you enjoyed it. :) Now please review.**

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	3. Magnum Opuses and Good Vibes

**Damn I'm good. Two chapters up within a couple hours of each other... I deserve reviews just for that! **

**Okay PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**Happy reading.**

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**Chapter 2: Magnum Opuses and Good Vibes**

Nowhere on the entirety of the Hogwarts grounds was the music louder than in Gryffindor Tower. It was utter pandemonium, the party of the century. The graduates had decided to thrown the party to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the rest of their lives, and the last night they had before they had to go off and be adults. They had the new hit single from the Antidote blaring for all to hear, enough food—courtesy of the house-elves, of course—to feed a small but hefty army, and strobe lights/ decorations, courtesy of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes's new Posh Party Package.

As the party raged around him, Teddy was leaning up against the wall at the bottom of the staircase to the boys' dormitories. He kept furtively glancing at his watch—the one Harry had given him for his birthday that had once been his father's—trying not to look too impatient. After all, he had to look like he was eagerly awaiting Cass's arrival or else Anna wouldn't be jealous. Yawn.

Teddy wanted to get out and enjoy the party; after all, what does any rational human being want to do after surviving NEWTs on top of seven years of rigorous schooling? Of course, they want to dance all night, nearly get a seizure from all the strobe lights, drink themselves into a stupor and possibly make out with some chick in the corner. But of course, Cass had to take her sweet time.

He did technically owe her. She _had_ stayed up all night with him and helped him survive his NEWTs with his sanity intact.

Of course, Teddy hadn't taken into consideration that Cass would take this moment—of all opportunities—to act like a girl.

While Cass was by no means a butch, she was quite a big tomboy. The only time Teddy had ever seen her in a skirt (aside from her uniform) was the first time he'd ever met her, and that had only been because she'd ran out of clean jeans. She never wore makeup or did her hair. Forget godliness, in Cass's mind, cleanliness was next to insanity. And to top off her tomboy résumé, she could out-burp any guy in Gryffindor.

Which was why it was such a conundrum that she was choosing this exact moment to start acting like a girl. It was a party. They'd been to them before, and she'd never taken this long before.

"Hey Teddy," came a voice so sexy Teddy thought his heart might stop.

Teddy looked in the voice's direction, and there was Anna Sinclair, the finest thing to have ever graced the halls of Hogwarts, wearing a tantalizingly short dress in a color that Teddy had momentarily forgotten the name of and a five-inch-tall pair of sling backs.

"Hey Anna," he managed to say. As far as he could tell he hadn't begun to act like an idiot yet, because she was still wearing that sultry smile of hers, her dark blue eyes—dusted with black eye shadow—intensely fixed on his and her full pink lips curled into a temptress-esque grin.

The guys in his dormitory often asked him why every girl at Hogwarts seemed to be in love with them and how he managed to keep his cool through it all. The first part was a complete enigma, but as for the second part, he always said that he didn't; he was just really good at acting.

"Enjoying the party?" he added, remembering to smile.

"Yeah, but you aren't," she remarked with a pout, running a hand up his arm. "How 'bout you come join me?"

"I'd love to, Anna," he muttered, his mind reeling with disbelief that he was actually turning her down, "but I'm actually kinda waiting for someone…"

"Who?" she said immediately. Her blue eyes flashed with a rush of some not-fun emotion, probably angry or rage or a strong urge to maim, torture or strangle whoever he was waiting for.

"Uh…" Teddy wasn't quite sure what to say. He didn't want to say Cass for fear of Anna attacking her, but then he didn't want to condemn any other poor girl to an untimely death either.

"Hey Ted."

He recognized the voice instantly and breathed a huge sigh of relief as Anna relinquished her grip on his arm.

"Hey—" Teddy's eyes widened.

"Cass!" Anna said, a smile on her face but a bite in her voice. She glanced over Cass's outfit—a low cut pink dress over skinny jeans—with animosity. "You look…" she contemplated her words very carefully, "nice!"

"Aw, thanks!" she said, using a tone and wearing a smile that was about as disingenuous and transparent as Anna's. She looked at her outfit. "You look…" she paused in an identical fashion to Anna, chuckling a bit before adding, "like a whore!"

Teddy snuffed his knuckle in his mouth to keep himself from dying of laughter as Anna gasped, staring at Cass murderously, who was standing there with a complacent smile.

"Ready to go, Teddy?" Cass asked. Teddy nodded without speaking.

"I can't believe you sometimes," he laughed as the two walked away from Anna.

"What?" Cass asked. "That girl is the most odious person alive. Second year, she broke my glasses. Then remember fourth year? She started that rumor that was a transsexual!"

"Yeah, but no one with half a brain believed that one," Teddy said.

"It was the intent, Ted," she said dismissively. "And then last year? Remember that? She chopped off the big chunk of my hair! It took Madam Mohr two weeks to figure out how to put it right, because she'd bewitched the scissors to make it impossible to magically regrow!"

"Yes, Cassie, I was there," he said patiently, all the while his head still reeling. He still couldn't believe that she looked so uncharacteristically girly. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, as though trying to make sure he was seeing correctly. But still there she stood in front of him, wearing a spaghetti strap dress and skinny jeans and heels, for Merlin's sake. "My god, you look like you were attacked by a battalion of stylists. What happened to you?"

"Are you insinuating that I was ugly before?" Cass asked, donning an expression of joking shock.

"No, it's just so different," he said with a shell-shocked tone. He picked up a tress of her hair in between his forefinger and his thumb and examined it thoroughly before annoucing, "You're hair is curled, Cass!"

"Yes, it is," she said with a laugh, as though it was always curled.

"You've never so much as blow-dried your hair in the seven years I've known you and yet suddenly it's no big deal when you actually take a curling iron to it?" Teddy asked incredulously. He glanced at her face more closely. "You're wearing _makeup_! And earrings!"

"Very good!" she cooed, speaking the way someone would speak if they were to congratulate a two-year-old on using the potty for the first time. "Way to point out the obvious!"

"Seriously, what happened?"

"Alright," she sighed, brushing her bangs—even those seem different to him—to the side with her fingers. "I've finally realized why you're friends with Elena Parker."

"Ah I see... you befreinded her and she turned you into a girl," Teddy joked.

Elena—or Elle as she was more commonly known—had been a fairly good friend of Teddy's since they'd started Hogwarts, especially since her twin brother, Cyrus, was Teddy's best guy friend. Cass had never been a big fan of hers because of her extreme girliness and her habit of saying "oh my god" one too many times, but she was a complete and utter genius and had been the only other psycho in seventh year to undertake seven NEWTs—which she had easily studied for on her own, much to Teddy's mortification—and was also just a nice person in general. And as if she wasn't already perfect enough, she was the eldest daughter of Professor Moreno and Professor Parker—perhaps the two best-looking people on the face of the earth and the Transfiguration/Supplemental Divination and the Potions teachers respectively, not to mention the only professors to be married to each other in almost a hundred years—so she was drop-dead gorgeous as well.

"No, she turned me into a twit," she muttered under her breath, fiddling with her mother's ring, which was currently strung around her neck on a goldish pink ribbon—a classically stylish look that was clearly Elle's work. "I look like an idiot…"

"If so, then every other girl in the room wants to look like an idiot as well," he said in a low voice, noticing many of the girls at the party casting sidelong glances at Cass, their eyes narrowed in envy.

"Oh shut up, you big softie," Cass said, barely containing a grateful smile.

"Ah, there you are!"

Out of the crowd emerged Elle in one of her signature, impeccably stylish outfits, consisting of a long blouse with gems adoring the spot the halter strap began on the bodice and a pair of slim black leggings.

"My magnum opus!" she proclaimed, taking Cass's chin in her hand. "My masterpiece! My Mona Lisa!"

She hugged Cass who showed no sign of enjoyment other than a grin she was attempting to suppress.

"Hey Ted, doesn't she look amazing?"

"Yes, amazing," he answered obediently, following the cue given by Elle's raised eyebrows and pointed tone. "Like Arely Davis, only no so full of yourself," he added for good measure, citing a very famous witch who was known for being very beautiful and statuesque.

"You know what you're full of, Ted?" Cass asked sardonically.

"Alright, none of that," Elle said cautiously, gracefully skirting around an argument. Teddy and Cass's arguments were short but legendary, often ending in a blue-in-the-face shouting match and someone crying—usually Ted. "Quick quiz, Cassie: what kind of heels are these?"

"Tall ones."

"Ha ha," Elle responded, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, out with it."

"Mary Janes," Cass answered, heaving a sigh as though it had cost her a great deal of effort, but Teddy got the distinct feeling that Cass was enjoying the girliness a lot more than she was letting on. "Five inches, turquoise, matching the blouse."

"Very good. And my hair?"

"Straightened."

"Using what technique?" Elle quizzed, sounding so much like her mother that it was scary.

"Blow drying," Cass answered confidently.

"And you can tell how?"

"The ends," she recited. "Blow drying leaves ends slightly curved, whereas flat ironing leaves them pin straight."

"Man, I'm good," Elle sighed happily.

"I have to admit, that was quite an accomplishment," Teddy said, clearly impressed.

"Yup, it was indeed… oh Ted, Cy wanted me to tell you that he and some other people are starting a Spin the Bottle game in the corridor."

"Oh really," he responded, rolling his eyes. "Well, who's out there already?"

"Cyrus, obviously," she started, naming them off on her fingers. "Then Hailey Russo, Charlotte Kingston, Ricky Hayes, Daniel Harding, Noah Baker, Anabel Austin, Emma O'Connell, Lauren Merriman, Dean Morgan, Wade Dandridge, and… oh, I think Cyrus just recruited Victoire too."

Teddy felt his stomach go bottomless.

"So yeah, head out there if your interested."

Elle took off into the crowd.

"Oooo," Cass cooed, a mischievous smile on her face. She laughed a bit. "Victoire is there, you say? Oh, then you _must_ be there or else you'll miss the chance to snog her face off! 'Oh Victoire, I _love_ you!'"

"Cass, volume!" he snapped nervously, glancing around to make sure no one had heard her.

"Oh puh-lease, the only person who doesn't know about your troll-sized crush on Victoire is Victoire," Cass retorted dismissively. "If you want a convenient excuse, I'll go with you."

"You?" Teddy asked incredulously. Games of Spin the bottle were extremely uncharacteristic of Cass and her impeccably squeaky clean reputation for being a good girl.

"Yes, Cass the Tight Ass is off for the night," she said with a big grin. "Cass the Minxy Flirt is filling in. And she is going to be the first one to make Cyrus Parker, Hogwarts's token man whore, feel the pain of rejection for once."

"Ouch," Teddy laughed. "Why the sudden desire to make Cyrus cry?"

"Because I've behaved for my whole life, and just for tonight I'm gonna walk on the wild side a bit," Cass explained, going to the portrait hole. "Besides, I have a good vibe about this." She smiled. "I don't know what but something good is gonna happen tonight."

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**Alright, I know it was a little low action, but I PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE that there will be a huge plot point in the next chapter!**

**REVIEW!**

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	4. Bin the Spottle

**Guess who totally has it together and wrote this in one night?! Me!**

**So I LOVED the twelve reviews from last time, but I beg of you guys, please write more than "Great story! Update soon!" It just doesn't tell me at all what was good about it. **

**Alright, I promised something big in this chapter and HERE IT IS!**

**Happy reading. ;)**

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**Chapter 3: Bin the Spottle**

"Alright…" Cass announced, holding her hands up to stop the chatter. "We really have to start, it's getting a little late… shut up, Ricky… you heard me, shut up…"

The lot of them were hanging out in a corridor near to the Gryffindor Portrait Hole, sitting in a circle. They had gotten a wee bit sidetracked in their quest to make out with one another, as Cyrus had pulled out a contraband bottle of firewhiskey and they'd all proceeded to get drunk playing a drinking game that they were all too buzzed to remember the name of. But as Cass had pointed out, it was beginning to get into the wee hours of the morning, and the party had already died, so if they were gonna play, now was the time to start.

"You guys…" Cass said, not drunk but definitely a little tipsy, trying to get everyone to pay attention. She was sitting almost directly across the circle from Teddy, just a little off to the left—sitting in between Cyrus and Ricky—and had not-so-conspicuously situated him right next to Victoire. To make a long story short, there had been a lot of winking and giggling on Cass's part and enough awkwardness to knock a fully-grown horse. "C'mon, we came out here for Spin the Bottle… now let's play, dammit."

"I'm with Cat," Cyrus said, eyeing Cass hungrily and attempting to wrap and arm around her, only to have her unceremoniously shrug it off.

"It's Cass, you bumbling prat," she grumbled.

"Whatever you say, darling," he slurred, smiling dreamily.

"Ech," Cass said, pushing him away. "Alright, let's play Bin the Spottle… oh wait, that's not right, is it…"

"Spin the Bottle," Victoire corrected politely, as she hadn't had a single drop of firewhiskey. At the sound of her voice, Teddy felt his throat tighten. He cast a sideways glance at her, and he couldn't help but think that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Her sleek, silver-blonde hair fell about four inches past her shoulders, long bangs and layers framing the blue Weasley eyes and her gentle, exquisite features.

"Right, that's it," Cass said, grinning at Victoire. "Alright, I'll use mine for the girls' and I need someone's wand for the guys'."

Dean quickly pulled his out and tossed it to Cass, who just missed catching it due to her slower reflexes from the booze.

"Woopsie," she said, picking up the wand. She picked up the two wands and scooted to the center of the circle, setting the two in the middle like a plus sign. With a flick of her wand and no incantation—Cass had always been particularly good at nonverbal spells, even when she was tipsy—Dean's wand, which had been on top, began to float upward before stopping about four inches above the ground, suspended in midair, while Cass's only floated about an inch above the ground. If someone had looked at it from above, it might've looked something like a strange, double-spinnered compass.

The game of Spin the Bottle had been fairly popular at Hogwarts for a number of years, brought here from the Muggle-borns and those with Muggle parents. But they had taken to playing with their wands, not the bottle, for no other reason than that the bottle was fairly difficult to spin on slightly uneven flagged-stone floors. Also, with the wands, the boy and girl would be picked, eliminating the annoying moments where the bottle would be spun for a bloke, and it would land on another bloke, and same for the girls (unless that happened to be their preference). However, they had kept the name "Spin the Bottle" simply because "Spin the Wands" was a retarded name.

"Alright let's start," Emma said, ready to tap them with her wand.

"Hold your horses there," Cass said, holding up a hand. "I wanna see if my Seer skills still work after using nearly every ounce of it for my damn NEWTs."

"What, you're gonna predict the couples?" Daniel asked skeptically.

"Damn straight," she said. "I wasn't named after history's most famous Seer for nothing."

"It's a bunch of hogwash," Daniel retorted, his eyes narrowed. "I bet you couldn't even predict one couple tonight."

"You're on," she said competitively. "Ten galleons says I predict five good couples."

"Spectacular," Daniel said with a haughty grin. "I'll finally have enough money to by my new broom."

"Just watch," Cass said with a mischievous grin. Teddy knew that Daniel would be out She glanced around the circle once. "The girl is Anabel. Skepticism man is the bloke." Everyone nodded, taking note. Cass reached over and tapped the top wand, and it spun and spun before landing on—of course—Daniel.

"Lucky guess," Daniel said immediately. "Tap the girl wand."

Cass shrugged, as if to say "As you wish," and tapped the wand which—of course—landed on Anabel.

Everyone clapped as Anabel and Daniel went off to the storage closet down the hall, but not for the two of them.

After Daniel and Anabel returned, Cass continued pairing off the correct pairs: Dean and Emma, Ricky and Lauren, Noah and Hailey, and—for the win—Wade and Charlotte.

"Pay up, chump," Cass said, extending out her open hand. Daniel glared at her murderously, then pulled ten galleons out of his pocket, dropping them into her palm.

"Damn, you're good," Hailey commented, looking impressed. "Do another one."

"Okay," Cass said, enjoying the attention. She looked around the circle, her eyes settling on Teddy. "The guy is Ted. And the girl…" she glanced around the circle again, passing one full time before crinkling her eyebrow. "Hmm… difficult one. As a guess, I'd say the girl is Vic."

The two glanced at each other, a gentle pink flush overtaking Victoire's cheeks and Teddy felt so lightheaded he was sure he was about to pass out—although some of that could be attributed to the fact that he's drank about as much as Cass herself (enough to get buzzed without being hungover to hell and back the next morning).

"But again, that one was hard," Cass added, poising herself to tap the wands. "So let's spin…"

She tapped the top wand and it spun around like mad, emitting blue sparks as it went around. It slowed and slowed till it landed on Teddy.

"Well we know that much is correct," she said, grinning. "Now let's see if it's really Victoire."

Cass tapped the bottom wand, and it began to spin around as well, leaving pink sparks in its trail instead of the blue ones. Teddy could hear an internal voice shouting, _"PLEASE! PLEASE LET IT BE VIC!"_ It slowed too, slower and slower until it landed on…

"Me," Cass mumbled, staring at the wand with a look of shock and incredulity. The word was supposed to come out as a question, but it had fallen flat, weak, as she simply couldn't believe what had just occurred.

The two looked up at each other. Everyone around them was cat-calling and whistling, but they heard none of it. Cass was staring intently into Teddy's eyes, but with what emotion was difficult to discern. It wasn't longing or desire, as if they'd been unearthed after falling dormant for some time. It wasn't disgust, as if she was repulsed by the mere notion of pressing her lips against his. And it wasn't humor or amusement, as if she would just do it for laughs. Her eyes were faltering, flickering, and completely unreadable.

"Well, come on you two," said Wade, pulling Teddy out of his reverie and onto his feet. Across the circle, Ricky and Cyrus were doing the same to Cass, who looked as though she was only just realizing that she and Teddy were not the only ones in the hallway. The three—Wade, Cyrus and Ricky—then ushered the two down the short walk to the dimly-lit storage closet and abruptly pushed them in, closing the door in a flurry of kissy sounds.

Once in silence again, they said nothing for about a minute. Teddy simply stood there, scratching his head nervously, and Cass determinedly avoided Teddy's gaze, her thumbnail in between her top and bottom front teeth was nibbling on it.

They didn't know where to begin. They didn't know whether they should say something, or what they should say if they did. They didn't understand how this sort of thing worked, not with each other. Not with the one person they'd never looked at that way. Not with the person who had only ever been a friend, and to whom they'd always been only a friend.

"This is awkward," Cass said finally, offering a small, shaky grin.

"Yeah," Teddy offered, pathetically unable to think up anything more appropriate. "Yeah it is."

"We don't have to, you know," she said quickly, her voice a little higher than usual: a sure sign of discomfort.

"We don't have to what?" he asked stupidly.

"Snog."

"Oh right," Teddy muttered, feeling like a complete imbecile.

"I mean we could just walk back out and, and no one would know," Cass rambled, starting to sound a bit frantic.

That was the emotion, Teddy realized, the one he couldn't place. The one that had danced across her features, obscuring them and twisting them until he scarcely recognized her. It hadn't been disgust, or need, or amusement. It had been fear.

"Cassie, it's not that big a deal," he assured her, trying to calm her down, as she was becoming completely frenetic.

"It isn't?" she asked uncertainly, still looking a bit harried.

"No," he reassured her, sounding a million times surer than he felt. "We're friends, right?"

"Right." She nodded, using a 'I'm not really that sure, but if I agree, it might make it so' sort of tone.

"So we can kiss," he said, attempting to act as though it were nothing. "We're friends, it won't mean anything. Less than what your kiss with Cyrus would've meant."

"Yeah." Cass was starting to sound more confident, but not convincingly so.

"It's just a kiss," Teddy said, feeling himself break out in a sweat from the sheer anxiety of the whole situation. "It's not like sex, right? Someone always has feelings during sex, but it's not, it's just kissing…" Teddy decided to just shut up.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed, nodding. She offered another smile, this one laced with insincere nonchalance. "Alright, let's just… do it."

Teddy said nothing, but nodded and swallowed hard. He suddenly felt very aware of all his teensiest moves, from the way his hair kept vacillating between his usual blue and his natural brown, to the way he took a shaky step towards her, closing the three foot gap between them, to the way he lifted up his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind Cass's ear. Everything felt so mechanical, so jerky and unnatural, like his body was being magically controlled by someone who wasn't quite savvy with the spell.

He inched towards her face, slow and trembling with nerves, their eyes fixed on each other's keenly. As he grew closer and closer, he began to shut his eyes gradually, the last things he saw being her full, pink lips, parted just a bit; her constellation of freckles, spattered across her cheeks and her button nose; the fan of long, dark eyelashes; and those bluish-greenish-grayish-hazelish eyes that never let anyone see past them.

The moment their lips touched, something unexpected happened. Teddy suddenly felt something—just what it was, he couldn't tell for the life of him—surge in his chest, some huge, massive feeling swelling inside his chest, stealing the air from his lungs and making his heart beat harder and faster….

Suddenly—far before Teddy wanted the moment to leave him—Cass pulled away, drawing in a deep breath through her nose. She looked at him, wearing a shell-shocked expression and breathing deeply, and he simply knew that she had felt that same inexplicable flood of… whatever it was, all from that little peck on the lips.

Without a single other thought, Teddy leaned in, taking Cass's soft lips again, meeting an eager response. He sucked on her upper lip, Cass capturing his lower. He tilted his head to the left, Cass following his lead as he darted his tongue into her mouth, the taste of her mouth so irresistible he thought he might just pass out on the spot.

Their kisses grew stronger, quicker, more desperate, and soon Cass's hands were entangled in Teddy's now flaming red hair—not that either of them took any notice—and Teddy's arms were snaked around her, pressing their bodies firmly up against each other. Teddy gently pinned her against the nearest wall—careful not to hurt her—and they continued kissing heatedly for a few more moments, before Teddy reached up to Cass's face and quickly pulled off her glasses, tossing them gently to the floor before resuming the snog fest.

Teddy's kisses began to stray a bit, trailing along her narrow jaw line, down her neck, and over her small shoulders. He could feel Cass rustling his hair a bit, as though she was moving her head around, searching the room for something, but it barely even registered with Teddy, and he continued his kisses, hooking the strap of Cass's dress—along with her bra strap—around his forefinger and letting it drape off her shoulder.

"Ted," Cass whispered. He didn't respond, so she spoke again, just a bit louder, "Teddy…"

He mistook it for a cute whisper, a sweet little nothing that was meant to encourage, not discourage, so he continued a bit faster, hooking his finger in the strap on the other side.

"Teddy, stop," she said forcefully, pushing him off herself with little force.

As soon as Teddy saw her face, he knew he'd screwed up royally. She looked like she had before—frantic and anxious—only magnified about a hundred times. Her hands were trembling, she wouldn't meet his eyes, and she kept squinting towards the floor as if searching for something.

"Dammit Ted, where the hell are my glasses?!" she snapped at him, continuing to search on the ground. Suddenly—before he had a chance to answer—she found them, put them in place, and took off out the door, Teddy tearing off after her.

She stepped through the circle through the spaces left from their absences and sped off down the hallway.

"Ted, what's going on?" Cyrus asked, swaying a bit on the spot.

"Game's over," he muttered quickly before taking off down the hall after Cass.

By the time he'd clambered through the portrait hole Cass was halfway up the girls' staircase.

"Cass! Come back!" She disappeared around the corner. "Dammit Cass, come back here right now!"

"What do you want?!" she whisper-screamed angrily, coming back around the corner.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled frantically. "I didn't mean to do push it like that, I just got carried away! Please come here!"

"Quiet, Ted," she whispered, glancing up the stairs, "it's two in the morning."

"Then come down and talk to me!" he whisper-shouted. She shook her head and came down the stairs.

"Alright, talk," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry…" he muttered, trying to come up with some explanation or justification for what had happened. "I didn't mean to…" He tried to put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't," she said softly, taking a step back from him. "Just don't…"

"Cass, I'm sor—"

"Just stay away from me."

"But Cass—" Teddy started to say as she retreated up the stairs.

"I need to think, Ted!" she shot back harshly, her eyes fiery and angry as she stood at the top of the staircase. "And obviously, I don't seem capable of doing a lot of that with you around!"

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**YAY! It was awesome right? Then REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Alright a big thanks to:**

**1. Anonymous Marauder, who always gives fantastic reviews! Thanks for the support on the story!**

**2. Crimson Courreges, who had the balls to say what she actually thought. Props!**

**3. Padfootatheart, who has reviewed every chapter with encouragement! I hope this lived up to your expectations!**

**4. Lyny Angell, who hasn't reviewed the past two chapters, but I still love her! Hurry back and read darling!**

**5. Everyone who has reviewed this story! Thank you to those who always review, and I beg all those who review every once and a while to review EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER!**

**The next chapter will not be as action packed, but I still think you will like it. It should be up soon.**

**Love you all!**

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	5. Graduation

**The much awaited new chapter is here! **

**Is anyone else super depressed that the school year is starting again? I know I am. I mean, it'll be cool to be a junior and all, but I have a grueling schedule (AP English Language Comprehension, Fine Art Photography, Pre-Calculus G/T, AP US History, AP Spanish Language, and Chemistry) and I will probably not be able to update as often. I am so sorry to all you fans, so I will try to update as much as I can before school starts or in the slow first week or during labor day weekend. But after that, I hope all of you will be very patient with me and know that I would much rather be updating regularly that being chained to my desk learning all the time.**

**Happy reading.**

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**Chapter 4: Graduation**

"Anabel Austin."

Anabel stood with an excited grin, her friends and family cheering for her as she climbed the stairs onto the stage. Professor Parker beamed at her with pride, shaking her hand and bestowing her diploma upon her. She then turned to the crowd, brushing her wavy blonde hair out of her eyes, and moved her tassel from the left to the right as the snapping of several magical cameras went off.

Teddy, however, noticed none of this.

He was too busy shooting what were supposed to be furtive glances in Cass's direction. He couldn't fathom how she seemed so calm and collected. Graduation aside, she was sitting in the uncannily short row before him, only a single seat to the left, putting them closer together than they had been since two nights ago, when they'd been rather cozy with each other in the storage closet. As for Teddy, his whole body was jumpy, over-alert and bundled up in nerves, as though he'd consumed massive quantities of caffeine. And these weren't the cutesy, "oh, a new crush, how nice," sort of nerves either. Oh no, they were the full-on nerves, like the kind you get before you're about to undergo a limb amputation without any anesthetics, or when you're about to take on a full-grown dragon or chimera armed with nothing but a jaunty tune and a spring in your step.

She had to see him. As "furtive" as he would've liked to have believed his glances were, they were quite blatant in reality. Wide-eyed, partially open-mouthed gaping was probably a more accurate term. But yet she still acted as though she didn't notice it at all.

He wondered what she was thinking of this ludicrous situation of theirs. Was she angry? Hurt? Just upset in general? And what was she thinking about him? Did she secretly like him, which he suspected strongly but wasn't sure if he wanted or not? Or did she hate him because of what had happened?

And was she ever planning on speaking to him again?

Teddy knew it sounded pathetic, but he missed her, even after less than two days. He'd never truly realized how much time he actually spent around Cass. She was just always there—occasionally more than he would've liked—so he'd never known what it was to be without his best friend. Until today, of course. Before the ceremony, everyone had been with their friends today, chatting about their years spent in school together and how much they'd miss each other once they had left. Meanwhile he'd been stuck with Elle and Cyrus, and while they were normally great to be around, they had spent all their time bickering about Elle's boyfriend, Johnny, and he had simply sat there, wondering what Cass was doing.

"Cassandra Devereaux."

Teddy instantly came back to reality as he watched Cass rise from her seat and walk onto the stage. As she did, Cass's younger siblings—E.B., Gemma, Thatcher, Ava and Lulu—all stood, as well as Ted's clan—Harry, Ginny, James, Albus, Lily and Gram—and the lot of them cheered and yelled and jumped up and down like mad, especially the younger ones (Ava, Lulu, and Lily). As she replaced her tassel on the right side, her eyes glanced over her cheering section. Suddenly—much to Teddy's surprise—she looked right at him. There was no smile—though she wasn't glaring or grimacing either—but she just seemed to be looking him over. Not in a creepy, stalkery way, but as though he looked different to her than the last time she'd seen him.

That was how he was looking at her, anyway. Sure, her hair was normal, her expression fairly familiar, and her eyes were once again hidden behind her black-rimmed frames. But something wasn't the same.

Or maybe it was all just in his head.

---

"Congrats Ted," Ginny said, a proud smile set upon her face. She gave him one of her trademark hugs—the ones that were too tight to be called comfortable on a normal scale, but that still brought this unique variety of comfort—and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "My goodness, look at you! All grown and ready to take the world by storm!"

"Oh Ted, we're so proud," Gram sighed happily, taking Teddy's thin face in her hands as he grinned good naturedly. "And thank you for having your hair your natural color today. I got plenty of evidential photos that your hair actually can exist in a normal color without spontaneously combusting."

"Your welcome, Gram," Teddy laughed, giving her a hug.

"My goodness, you're thin!" she declared, grandma-ish concern etched into her face. "Are you eating?"

"Nope, haven't eaten a single morsel in three months," Teddy quipped, a silly grin on his face.

"Oh bite your tongue, lad," she shot back, her own playful smile twinkling on her face. "Well I have made plenty of marvelous food back at the house for the party. We're having Ron and Hermione over with Rose and Hugo, as well. I assume Cassandra and her siblings are coming too?"

"Um…" He glanced around the hall, where numerous other families were giving congratulations to their graduates after the ceremony, but he could not see Cass anywhere. "I dunno. She might not be coming."

"Oh?" Ginny asked, surprised. "Why, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing, I just think she might have something going." Ginny raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Teddy internally kicked himself for not being able to come up with a more believable response.

"I wanted Cassie to come!" Lily piped up. "She said she would teach me how to braid my hair."

"Unfortunately for Lily here, she was born to a mother who never learned to braid hair properly," Ginny put in.

"I'll see what I can do," Teddy said, looking around again. "I think I might know where she is. You guys head back to the house, and I'll see if I can't get her to come over."

The seven of them quickly said goodbye, and Teddy made his way through the crowds to the bridge that overlooked the rolling hills and rivers breaking off from the Black Lake, knowing from experience that Cass always retreated there when she needed to think.

Sure enough, that's exactly where he found her, her forearms resting against the railing.

"Hey," Teddy greeted her lamely, not having been able to think of anything more intelligent to say. She turned to him, as though to see who it was.

"Hi," she mumbled, grinning softly.

"So," he said, coming up next to her, "how are you?"

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "How about you?"

"I don't know either," he said, being entirely truthful.

"Well, aren't we riveting?" She smiles. "Let's sit, yeah? Elle forced me into a pair of four inch heels, and my feet are starting to revolt."

The two sat down in a pile of black robes.

"Hey Ted?"

"Yeah?" he responded, turning his head to look at her.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

Cass sighed.

"For today," she answered, gesturing indistinctly. "I don't know about you, but I never imagined spending today without you. I mean, we planned out that whole Seventh Year prank for today back in Third Year, and now we can't." She paused for a moment. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I do need to think. I do need to understand what happened Wednesday night in that closet. But it doesn't mean I don't miss you."

"As what?" Teddy asked her quietly. "A friend? Or as more than that?"

"I wish I knew," she replied, scratching her head. She looked at him, and he looked at her.

And before either of them knew what was happening, their lips were once again together, locked in a heated kiss. That same swelling feeling was rising up in his chest again, his breath caught in his lungs. He couldn't think… the smell of Cass's shampoo was engulfing him, her soft hair falling over his face… wild, half-formed ideas raced across his mind quicker than he could actually comprehend them, all of them involving Cass in some degree of undress… her long fingers were tangled in his hair… her small, slender body was underneath him, her honey blonde hair fanned out beneath her…

"Alright, enough," Cass said, pushing Teddy off her. She didn't sound angry or indignant or anything of the sort. Perhaps a bit impatient, but nothing else.

As he rolled off her, he felt that same sort of 'coming off a cloud' feeling, the kind of feeling you get after you do something so surreal and dreamlike and then you stop and reality comes over you in waves as you start to realize what just happened.

Cass stood with a speed and agility that Teddy didn't know she had. She wasn't frantic this time or even nervous.

"That," she said calmly, straightening her hair and glasses as Teddy stood as well, his hair—which was in the process of returning to his natural brown from that red it seemed to like changing to lately—sticking out in a million directions, "cannot keep happening. And the reason I need space is because every time we're together lately, I let myself do this."

"Cass, it's not—"

"So help me god, don't say that it's not my fault," she said, that impatience in her demeanor reaching a fever pitch. "If it's not my fault, then why does it always feel like it?! This whole day, when we were supposed to be pranking and wistfully reminiscing, we weren't talking! And why was that? Because of me!"

"It's _not_ you!" Teddy shot back, frustrated that she was blaming this all on herself. She kept backing away, so he reached out to try and touch her arm. "This is just a really crappy situation!"

"I need to go, Ted," she whispered before his hand met her arm, turning around and walking off.

* * *

**Yet another kissing scene... all for all of you! **

**Okay I have a proposition. I am calling out all the people on the alert list for this story that haven't reviewed, even once: Ceyxa, Elizabeth Odessky, Jhessill, Killache, Lady.homicide, RestlessMind, Rokhen, SilvanBeauty12, clumsy eloquence 666, imemine96, jewelledhunter, marauderette92, and popppincorn. Come on you guys! Review. And that's not a out for all of you who have reviewed, still keep reviewing!**

**Oh and a thanks to XxStephXx for helping me out on two fronts for this story!**

**Another chapter is on the way! Just to get you hooked, Victoire gets a little screen time in the next chapter...**

**mystrymoviebrunette**


	6. Damn Me And Damn The Damned Hormones

**YAY! I got another chapter up before school! **

**Teehee. **

**Another chapter might not be for a while, so I really hope you enjoy this chapter! It's dedicated to all the Vic/Ted shippers out there.**

**Happy reading.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Damn Me And Damn The Damned Hormones**

Teddy sulked through most of the party. He felt badly about dragging down the party at first, but after a bit he realized that everyone was pretty much doing their own thing: all the adults—Molly, Arthur, Gram, Bill, Fleur, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, George and Alicia—were sitting around the kitchen table chatting and, as the party progressed, began getting a bit tipsy and rowdy, as Lily and Hugo were off playing in the garden while James erroneously explained the inner workings of Hogwarts—having just completed his first year—to Albus and Rose as the three sat on the steps to the kitchen. Everyone seemed to be all settled by themselves, so Teddy had stolen away to the roof to watch the sun set.

He loved coming up here. The air was cool but not freezing, all was quiet but for the sound of laughter from the garden where Lily and Hugo were playing tag, and the sky was an explosion of color, blues and pinks and oranges and purples and reds swirling around a orb of blazing white. He liked being able to get away, where it was only him, his thoughts and the great view. Everything was perfect.

Only it wasn't.

Sure, Teddy sometimes came up here to think, but the vast majority of the times he'd been up here, it had been with Cass. From here, he could even see her house—a big old Victorian two story number that was visible over rolling green hills and treetops. It seemed impossible to escape thinking about her. No matter what he was doing, looking at or thinking about, it always led to Cass.

As he gazed at her house on the horizon, he wondered what Cass was doing. Perhaps E.B. and Josie (Cass's aunt) had organized a surprise party, and they were all sitting around, giving her presents and eating cake. Yellow cake, smothered in chocolate frosting. That was Cass's favorite.

"Hey Teddy."

Teddy whirled around, hoping it was Cass.

It wasn't.

"Vic?" Teddy said, surprised. From the list of people that he would have expected after Cass, she was definitely at the bottom. "Thought you were at Jade's graduation party."

"It ended early," she said softly, closing the trapdoor to the roof behind her. "She had to pack."

"Where's she going?" he asked as Victoire came and sat next to him, both of their backs up against the chimney.

"Spain with Greyson," she explained, readjusting the hem of her shirt. "Jade says it's to practice her Spanish, but I'm pretty sure Greyson sees it as the prefect opportunity to pop the question."

"They're pretty young," Teddy commented.

"Eh." Victoire shrugged. "They make each other happy. Disgustingly happy. If someone made me as disgustingly happy as they make each other, I'd marry him in a heartbeat."

"Can't argue with that logic," he laughed good naturedly. "Are you gonna miss her?"

"Sure," she responded emphatically, widening her dazzling blue eyes. "She's my best friend and she graduated a year before me. But she's only gone for the summer and she's coming back to Hogwarts so she can prep to take over for Flitwick."

"That's brilliant," he said sincerely.

"Yeah," Victoire added with a gentle smile. "She always got top marks in Charms."

For a moment they sat in silence, and Teddy's eyes strayed from Victoire's impeccable features to the Victorian house on the horizon.

"The view is amazing up here," she remarked, drinking in the scenery. "Whose house is that?"

"Cass's," Teddy mumbled, his head resting against the chimney and his eyes fixed on the house in the distance.

"Ah," she replied, realizing that she had hit a sore spot.

A few more moments of silence.

"Listen, Teddy," she said, sounding apologetic. "I don't know what happened between you and Cass during Spin the Bottle, but I like you. I guess I've kind of always have a bit."

Teddy felt his head go fuzzy and his stomach twist into a knot, and he turned to look at her. She was so beautiful… her unblemished, porcelain skin and her wide, unbelievably blue eyes… her sleek, silver blonde hair was fluttering in the light breeze…. her lips were so close to his…

"Vic, I can't…" Teddy muttered agonizingly, pulling away from her and shaking his head. "You're beautiful and I want to… but I can't. Everything's so fucked up right now, and nothing makes any bloody sense… and I just can't."

"It's okay," Victoire whispered breathlessly, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat. "I… I should go."

"Vic…" he groaned as she went to the trapdoor.

"Teddy, seriously," she said, only her torso visible as she was already on the ladder. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

She offered a little smile before descending the rest of ladder.

Teddy sighed. And it wasn't one of those sweet sighs either, it was painful and tortuous. What was he supposed to do? Cass was his best friend, and while he wasn't quite sure if she was more than that, he knew that kissing her was better than anything he'd experienced. Ever. And then there was Victoire, who really needed no introduction, but was beautiful and smart and made his heart race and his stomach turn over.

What the _bloody_ hell what he supposed to do?

---

"Ted?"

Teddy looked up from his desk—where he was looking over the syllabus for the Healing program at St. Mungo's which he'd be starting in a week—to find Ginny standing in the doorway.

"Hey Gin," Teddy sighed, meticulously gathering up his papers into a pile. "What's up?"

"I just realized that this wasn't much of a graduation party for you," Ginny sighed. "I'm sorry, we all just got to talking—"

"It really wasn't that big a deal," Teddy assured her. "I wasn't really in much of a mood for a party."

"Weren't you?" she asked curiously, closing the door behind her and leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Any reason why?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," he replied. Ginny grinned, and he immediately knew what was coming next.

"You've known me all your life, Ted," she said. "When has that ever worked?"

"Never," he half laughed, half sighed.

"That's right," she laughed, pulling up a chair and sitting opposite to Teddy across his desk. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"What's wrong…" Teddy repeated, as though he was trying to figure it out himself. "Ah, I know!" he continued brightly, sarcasm dripping off every syllable. "I'm a sex-crazed idiot who can't keep his hands off anything in a skirt!"

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Oh you're gonna love this," he said sardonically. "Wednesday Cyrus had the brilliant idea to play Spin the Bottle, and—ironically—the only reason Cass and I went to play at all was so I could have one pitiful chance to make out in a dark broom closet with Victoire—"

"_Our_ Victoire?"

"How many Victoires do we know?"

"Point taken."

"Anyway, I'm sitting there, hoping like the miserable sod I am that the wand lands on Victoire, when the damn wand lands on Cass! Wade and Cyrus cram us into this puny broom closet and after about two minutes of awkwardness, we actually snogged and then there was more snogging and more snogging and just an unbelievable amount of snogging. Then Cass freaked out and took off and we didn't talk all day, until of course, I went and found her on the bridge and we snogged _again_! And now she thinks it's all her fault that everything so bloody screwed up. Then on the roof just now, Vic comes up and she looks like a bloody angel all the time and and said she liked me too and I nearly snogged her too—"

All of that was said in the span of about fourty five seconds.

"Oh, I can guess what's next!" Ginny announced, mock excited. "Then Isabella burst out from under the trap door and pounced on you!"

"Gin!"

"Sorry, serious now," she said, dropping the excited tone and donning a face of utmost seriousness.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked her. "I don't even know if I have feelings for Cass and I'm already going after Vic?"

"Oh Ted, cut yourself some slack," Ginny said sympathetically. "You're a bloke and you're seventeen. You want to shag anything that moves at this point, it's all the hormones."

"Damn me and damn the damned hormones," Teddy grumbled. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Talk to Cass!" Ginny responded as though it were the simplest answer in the entire world. "I mean, give it a couple days, but then go talk to her without your lips being sucked together."

"Easier said than done."

* * *

**I hope you all liked it! **

**Wish me luck on the first day in my junior year...**

**mmb**


	7. Five Minutes To Midnight

**Guess who survived their first week of Junior Year!!!!!!! **

**Omg I am so excited because this story is up to 72 reviews!!! Thanks to all the reviewers for making this my most reviewed story! Oh and I gave everyone who hadn't reviewed a pass last time, but now I'm back being obnoxious about nonreviewers! I'm too lazy to make another list of all the people who haven't reviewed so that'll come next chapter, but if you haven't I beg of you to review! If everyone on the alert list alone reviewed I'd get thirty reviews!!!!! **

**Oh just to make sure that sticks, I want fifteen reviews before an update. (Aren't I just precious?)**

**OH! Another thing I wanted to mention was the fact that NO ONE asked me about something in last chapter that I was sure everyone was going to ask. So here, just to get you all thinking, here is the question I thought you'd all be asking: who is this 'Isabella' that Ginny mentioned last chapter?**

**Ha. I'm not even gonna answer it! I bet you all hate me now. Oh well.**

**Happy reading.**

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**Chapter 6: Five Minutes To Midnight**

"Alright…" Ginny said softly, looking around the room. "I think you've got everything."

"Ginny, I'm fine," Ted assured her as she glanced around. She always worked herself into a state when he was about to transform. "I've got everything."

"You took the potion, right?" she asked frantically.

"No, I'm just planning on tearing the room apart," he said, feeling miserable but hiding it well. "Yes, I took the potion."

"Gin, calm down, he's fine," Harry put in, steering Ginny to the door by her shoulders.

"Well, are you sure that you want to do this one alone?" she asked concernedly, looking back at him as Harry steered her out Teddy's bedroom door.

"I'm fine," he repeated, offering a half-hearted smile.

"He's fine, Love," Harry said, closing the door. "Night, Ted."

"Night, Harry."

The door clicked closed, and Teddy sighed, laying back on his bed. It was true, he wanted to transform without Harry and Ginny this time around. But that didn't mean he wanted to do it alone.

In other words, he wanted to have Cass there.

Cass—with her annoyingly accurate Inner Eye—had discovered he was a werewolf after only three months or so at Hogwarts. So she had been with him for every full moon for the last seven years, even the ones during the summer. Because that's how Cass was: she was _always_ there. Even when you didn't necessarily need her or want her there. She was there.

Only now she wasn't. And the worst part was that it was his fault.

He glanced out the window. The sky was dark and the blazing white moon was peeking out through the tops of the trees…

---

"Are you sure he's fine?"

"Merlin, Gin, how many times has he done this without us?"

"Don't get snippy with me."

"Darling, I love you but I've lost count of how many times you've asked me that. How else to you expect me to respond?"

The two were down in the kitchen, bickering. Ginny was pacing about, fidgeting with the hem of her top and adjusting the household appliances minutely one direction or another. Harry was seated at the kitchen table, trying to read the headline of that morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ only to be distracted every time Ginny asked some variant of the phrase "Do you think he's okay?" He understood that Ginny was worried about Teddy; after all, he was too. But they'd left him nearly four hours ago—it was nearly midnight—and every two minutes she would ask him again. Besides, he was seventeen years old; if he couldn't handle a transformation by himself by now, he was never gonna get it.

"Excuse me for being concerned," Ginny responded, lifting herself onto the counter and sitting perched atop it.

"Ginny…" Harry sighed, standing up and going over to her. He put his hands on her knees and looked right in her eyes. "He is eighteen. He can take care of himself."

She looked away from him, as if he wasn't getting it.

"It's not about the damn transformation," she whispered frustratedly. "He's confused and young and he shouldn't be alone."

"He's having girl trouble," he said dismissively. "I say it's about damn time he gets a little confused, he has to realize that sometimes dating is more complicated than picking a girl out of the sea of girls that volunteer for the opportunity."

"You think?" Ginny asked uncertainly, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm sure of it," Harry said firmly, smiling as he planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Now stop worrying."

"Where is he?"

The both of them looked toward the entrance to the kitchen. There Cass stood, in a pullover and jeans tucked into her combat boots. Her voice sounded calm and collected. Ginny slid off the counter and she walked towards Cass.

"Cass—"

"No, please just tell me," she said frenetically, her calm façade dropping instantly. "I'm supposed to be here, I've always been here, and I can't back out just because something like this happened with us."

Ginny sighed. "He's in his room."

Cass nodded and flew up the stairs, taking two at a time.

---

He padded around the room, sniffing the air for the familiar scent of flowers. Where was it? He stepped over towards the bed, trailing his nose along the fabric at the bottom. Perhaps she was hiding.

He was looking for the smell of that human, the one with the yellow hair. He hadn't spent a full moon without her for… longer than he could remember. He liked her better than the other humans. The old human at the school always looked at him sadly, as though he was something to be pitied. And the red haired and black haired mates were scared of him, he could always smell it on them. But the yellow-haired human was never scared of him, and she would play with him. None of the other humans did that either. He trusted her.

He pawed at the door gently, a whimper trembling in his throat. Perhaps she was out there. Maybe she didn't know he was in here.

No one came.

He began restlessly pacing about again. He could see the moon through the hole in the wall. It was very high now. Why wasn't she here already? Where was she? Would it always be like this from now on, full moons without her?

He searched for while longer before curling up in the corner, defeated.

Until something made his ears perk up. Footsteps on the stairs. They weren't the red haired one's, these were far too loud and clumsy.

He sniffed. There was the scent.

He bounded towards the door, his whole body shaking with anticipation. He barked, to let her know he was in here. He didn't want her to miss him. The scent was growing stronger.

The shiny, round rock on door twisted, and began to swing open, but barely. Just enough to let the yellow-haired human in.

"Shhh, Ted," she whispered. He immediately fell silent except for his incessant panting. He sat back on his haunches, sitting obediently as she shut the door.

"Hey," she said, smiling as she kneeled to scratch him behind the ear. "Hi there."

This is why he enjoyed having the yellow-haired human with him. With the others he felt the necessity to play the part of the alpha. Just to make sure they stayed in their place. But she knew her place. Never did she need to be reminded. He remembered the first time he'd seen her. He had been laying there, on the cold stone ground, when she'd simply emerged from the darkness. He had smelt no fear on her. But she hadn't pushed her limits. She had sat herself a safe distance from him.

The next time, she had done the same thing. And the next time. And the next time. After that, he'd been to curious about this strange human. He approached her, growling only a bit. She had been afraid then, but only slightly. She hadn't moved. He'd paced a circle around her, ascertaining that she wasn't wielding a stick or some other weapon with which to subdue him. He had sniffed her, and she had sat there, unflinching. After deciding that she was harmless he had sat himself down a few feet from her, keeping some distance but letting her know that he had okayed her. For many hours they'd sat like that, with her staring straight at him and him staring straight at her. As the hours passed, and he began to grow sleepy, he had curled up in a ball and she had fallen asleep beside him.

After that she had gained his trust more and more, until he was so docile around her he had been reduced to little more than a household pet in terms of danger. He was always ready to revert back if she forgot the order of things: that he was the alpha and she very clearly was not. But he'd never had to.

Especially since she always brought him a tribute.

"Good job, you found it!" she said softly as he caught another scent concealed in her jacket pocket. She reached in with a gloved hand and pulled out his treat. She placed in it her palm and he heartily devoured it in all its crunchy goodness. "Is the bacon good? Huh?"

He swallowed and then licked her glove clean of any traces of greasy saltiness, finishing by sniffing her jacket, just in case she had brought another for him.

"What, more?" she asked, mock-frustrated. She laughed. "How ungrateful! What and ungrateful thing you are!"

He panted happily. He was very glad she was here. She petted his head as her smile faded and her hands fell to her lap.

Her face changed, it seemed more drawn to him. She pressed her eyelids together tightly, a few drops of water trickling out.

He tilted his head. What was this? What was she doing? It was so strange, so foreign for him. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew he didn't like it. He wanted to make her laugh again. He didn't want her to be like this.

He licked the water off her face, and he heard her make a small sound. For a moment he wondered if it was a laugh. He sat back for a second. It wasn't a laugh. There was still water coming from her eyes.

Now he was worried. What was wrong? He whimpered a bit, and curled up at her feet and rested his head in her lap, his eyes looking up at her to see if she was happier now. She just looked down at him, and stroked his head.

"I'm sorry, Ted," she muttered, petting him very softly. "I'm so sorry I'm such an idiot. You know me, I don't ever know how to deal with anything properly, and I've just made everything so complicated and difficult…"

She shook her head, and hastily wiped her eyes. Almost involuntarily, she heaved a yawn.

He knew that sound.

He sprang up immediately and pulled her to her feet by biting the cuff of her jacket, leading her to the bed. He nudged her into sitting on it, bounding onto it after her. She laid down flat on her back, like she always did, and he rested his head and paws on her stomach, like he always did.

After all, he was the alpha. Alpha wasn't all about howling and fighting; you had to protect your pack. And he had to protect her.

---

Sunlight flooded through the window. Teddy squinted and groaned, turning on his side. Hmm. His pillow was abnormally squishy… in fact, it didn't feel much like a pillow at all.

He arduously pried his eyelids open and realized that—far from it being a pillow—it was Cass's stomach.

At the exact same moment of that revelation, another hit him.

_She came. _

She stirred a bit, scrunching up her face and stretching out her arms. After heaving a huge sigh, she squinted a bit as well and then opened her eyes. It took a few moments of glancing around the room to remember where she was, and who with. Her eyes settled on Teddy.

"Hi."

She said it like nothing had changed with them in the past five days. He couldn't do the same.

"You came." He stared at her intently, his face expressionless.

"I came," she repeated softly, using the same tone as he did.

"Why?"

"I dunno." She focused on removing a stray hair off her jacket, understanding how Teddy had meant that question, then looking up at him. "You're still my best friend, aren't you?"

She said it so nicely, so genuinely and innocently, that he couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah."

"And I'm still yours?"

"Of course you are."

* * *

**Alright, let's get reviewing!**

**mmb**


	8. Shut Up And Kiss Me

**Hey you guys! Another week of Junior Year down!**

**Hah, thanks to all you guys who humored me and asked who Isabella was. I can't tell you, but let's just say she's important, but not crucial to the plotline. It's not exactly a "Mark Evans" situation, but definitely not a "the significance of Harry's green eyes" situation either. **

**Alright, there was a little break from the action last time but it's back with a vengeance this chapter. And even more is on the way next chapter.**

**Please review, all of you! I got my fifteen this time, so I will be expecting fifteen for this one too!**

**Happy reading.**

**mmb**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Shut Up And Kiss Me **

"Oh how cute!" Ginny cooed, standing in the open doorway to Teddy's room. "You're primping."

Teddy, caught in the act, stuck his tongue out at her.

"My, my, such maturity," she commented with a laugh. "So who are we going to see today? My extraordinarily beautiful, part-veela niece? Or our spunky, charmingly clumsy neighbor?"

"Well I don't know where you're going, but _I_ am going to talk to Cass," Teddy said, brushing his wet hair.

Cass had left shortly after waking up—which had been in very late morning—saying that she needed a shower, breakfast, new clothes and to check on everyone. She had promised to come back later that day, around five or so, which in the language of Cass meant six, as she was always late.

"Ah…" Ginny said, a little smirk working its way onto her face. "So you guys are talking again?"

"Well when she left this morning I hadn't sucked her face off," he replied brightly, shaking the water out of his hair. "So yeah, we were talking instead. We're friends again."

"Good."

At that moment, a loud, three-part scream of "CASSIE!" from downstairs.

"Sounds like she's here," he said, grabbing a jacket off his painstakingly made bed. "I'll be back later."

"And for god's sake, don't kiss her until you've worked this out!" Ginny told him sternly as he walked past her.

"I will."

He walked down the hall and down the stairs, where he saw Cass surrounded by James, Lily and Albus. Lily was clamped around Cass's shin as Cass avidly discussed the Chudley Cannons's standings in the World Quidditch league, while Albus—whom Teddy had good money on having a rather enormous crush on Cass—nervously looked on, seemingly caught in an internal conflict between wanting to talk to Cass and the fear of making a fool of himself.

"I'm starting to feel like you're trying to steal my spot here," Teddy told Cass, coming down the stairs.

"Oh where have you been?" she asked jokingly. "I've already stolen it." She smiled. "Alright Lilster, off my leg."

"No…" Lily whimpered, squeezing her leg tighter. "Don't leave…"

"I'll be coming back, you know," she assured her, brushing her bright red hair out of her face. "C'mon, dolly, I have to talk to Ted."

"Fine," Lily said, sporting a pout as she relinquished Cass's leg.

"Thank you," she said. She glanced at Teddy. "You ready to head out?"

"Yup." Teddy nodded. "Right, we'll see you later."

Once the two were out the door, they headed out towards the fields in between their houses, where they could walk without being interrupted, because no one except them ever hung around there.

"So." Cass looked at him. "Where are we going?"

"We can go to the loft, if you like," Teddy responded, knowing how much Cass loved going up into the hay loft above her barn.

"Sure, sounds good."

They set off into the vast fields of overgrown grasses, following their usual cleared path to Cass's house.

Teddy wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He glanced at Cass.

She looked so different to him. Her every move had multiple significances, her every sigh and every glance was suddenly enigmatic and agonizingly mystifying.

Or perhaps it was simply the way he was looking at her.

Whatever the reason, she looked different. And Teddy wasn't sure if it was beautiful or terrifying.

And suddenly his eyes were traveling to places they hadn't settled before. Places he wasn't sure if they belonged. Places he somehow couldn't keep his damn eyes off. He was suddenly fascinated with the way the wind caught her hair and made her bangs sweep across her face, and the soft lines of her shoulders and her back. The way her jeans so nicely hugged her curves, accentuating her lovely backside and her slim legs, and the deliciously low cut of her top were suddenly all that consumed his thoughts.

And her plump, full pink lips… he kept imagining them against his again…

He needed to stop thinking.

"I didn't really tell you this before," he started off, looking down at his trainers as he spoke, "but it really meant a lot that you still came."

"Last night, you mean?" she asked, squinting her eyes in the explosion of light from the sunset. He nodded. "Honestly, I had always planned to. The only reason I didn't come earlier was because I was afraid you wouldn't want me there."

"Why on earth wouldn't I want you there?" he asked incredulously. "You've been there for every full moon since I was eleven."

"Yeah, but I s'pose I've been a right bitch lately," she responded sheepishly, leading the two of them around a small grove of trees on the way to her barn. "You know me, I never know how to handle anything properly, and I've just made everything so complicated and difficult."

"It's not your fault. This whole thing really sucks."

He didn't recognize her words. She could see it in his face; those words held no significance besides in this moment. He didn't remember them from last night. But then again he rarely did.

"Yeah, it does," she responded, carefully concealing a smile.

If he didn't remember her words, he most certainly wouldn't remember her tears.

"Right," Cass said as the two of them entered the barn, "follow me, we moved the ladder."

Teddy followed her up the ladder, forcibly keeping himself from staring at her ass. Once up on the loft, he followed Cass in her extremely arbitrary search for an acceptable place to sit.

"Here's good," she said, picking a spot right in the front, with a wide, pane-less open window overlooking the sunset. She sat down in the most ungraceful manner possible, slipping on some hay and falling on her ass with a thud and an "oomphf!" Teddy clenched his jaw in a fair attempt to keep from laughing.

"So." Cass looked at him, squinting behind her glasses. She turned so that they were facing each other. "Have you got any idea what we're doing?"

"No," Teddy laughed, shaking his head. "I'm still trying to figure it out."

"I mean…" she said, trying to rephrase. "Merlin, I don't know what I mean. I mean, I'm standing here talking to you and there's no butterflies, no heady, swooning feeling, but then you kiss me and…" She dropped her hands to her sides, which had been previously gesticulating in a indistinct manner. "That sounds weird just saying it, doesn't it?"

"More than you know," he said emphatically.

"That's my point," she explained. "All of this seems so ludicrous, so completely absurd. And then suddenly our lips get sucked together and you couldn't separate us with a crowbar."

"You seem to be pretty good at it, seeing as you've been the one to call it off each time," Teddy commented, narrowing his eyes in the continually sinking sun.

"That's because I remember halfway through just who I'm kissing," Cass laughed softly. "If you weren't so desperately randy all the time, you might have the same ability."

Teddy smiled, but said nothing.

"I just… have no clue what I'm feeling," she sighed, looking right at him. "I want to know but everything is so confusing…"

"I know," he agreed. "It's like… for a moment, you finally think you have it, but then something changes…"

"That's it," she said in assent. She didn't speak for a moment or two.

The sun was hitting her just right. Her eyes were so bright with the sun in them; every varying facet of pure color was illuminated. Her smile was so gentle that he almost didn't catch it. Her head was tilted down a bit and turned slightly to the left, towards the sunset, the outward slope of her nose casting poetic arch in a shadow across her face.

His eyes dropped to the soft curves of her lips, so full and so soft and so very close to his…

And before either of them could stop themselves their lips were together again, kissing each other with an animalistic ferocity. Everything was coming at him at light speed, there were a million thoughts and no time to comprehend even a single one. Not that he even wanted to. He was completely content to have his hands all over Cass, his lips so intently pressed against hers.

He was again on top of her, as he had been on the bridge, only this time he had not lowered her slowly or carefully, but pushed her down. Not with the intention of hurting her—though he supposed in some distant, dusty part of his mind that he was choosing to ignore had warned him that it was possible—but out of lust and impatience. Cass emitted a small squeak on impact out of surprise, but seemed to be otherwise unscathed.

His hands were all over her, loving the feel of her feminine curves beneath his fingertips. Her skin was so soft… so smooth…

"Oh my god," Teddy gasped, jumping off of her.

Cass sat up—her hair mussed, her shirt pushed up over her stomach, and the snap on her pants undone—and looked at him questioningly.

He didn't know how to describe what had just happened, but he was fairly sure that it was the same feeling that Cass had been talking about before. It was like a jolt of electricity, as if his mind was reminding him that he was about a millimeter away from ripping off all the clothes of his best friend.

"We can't," he muttered, panting heavily.

"Can't?" Cass asked, pulling down her shirt to cover up her perfectly flat stomach. "I think it's pretty obvious that we perfectly capable of this."

"We shouldn't," he paraphrased, feeling very punch-drunk. "We're… and you… you're—"

"I'm what?!" Cass shot back indignantly, and Teddy knew right away that he was in for it. "Ugly?! Untouchable?! Not part-fucking-veela like Victoire Weasley?!"

"Cass," he sighed as she did up her pants and grabbed her jacket.

"Fuck you, Ted," she spat, getting up. Ted grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"Would you just listen?!" he shouted. "I didn't mean you're ugly, you're not. You're… amazing and—"

"And so are you, everyone knows it except you!" she responded. "Just stop over-thinking this! I'm tired of being so cautious! Let's stop being so painfully predictable! I don't know what I feel about you, but dammit, I just wanna stop thinking about it for now! We have a hell of a lot of chemistry and I am randy and saying 'Take me now' and I just want to see how far the rabbit hole goes!"

She took a moment to breathe, staring at him intensely.

"So are you in or not?" she asked him.

He didn't even think about it.

"I'm in," he muttered.

"Then shut up and kiss me."

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**How's that for a cliffhanger? **

**Love you all. ;D**

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	9. Horny, Hot And Saying Yes

**Hey you guys! Another week, another update!**

**Oh and to respond to paT, who left the second to last review before I updated. As he/she so eloquently put it "wtf with the fullmoon?! ted lupin is NOT a werewolf". I realize that, paT, but this is MY story. And in MY story, Ted Lupin IS a werewolf. Comprendes?**

**Alright, now that we have THAT little issue cleared up, read on, smut lovers, read on!**

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**_Previously in The Fine Line... _**

_"So are you in or not?" she asked him. _

_He didn't even think about it. _

_"I'm in," he muttered. _

_"Then shut up and kiss me." _

**Chapter Eight: Horny, Hot and Saying Yes**

There Cass was before him, in a pair of snug jeans and a lacy camisole, horny, hot and saying yes.

Teddy didn't need to be asked twice.

He pounced on her, pushing her back down in the hay. She emitted a small giggle, her lips still pressed against his.

"What's so funny?" he asked bemusedly, his lips parting from hers and nibbling on her ear.

"A bit eager, aren't we?" Cass asked, her voice low and breathy.

"You have no clue," he said, suckling on the tender skin of her neck as she gasped with pleasure.

His mind was going completely foggy. He couldn't think or comprehend any of it. He just knew that her skin was softer than velvet, than silk, than the breeze, and she tasted sweeter than honey and smelled like jasmine. He wanted to rip off every last scrap of clothing, he wanted to touch every inch of that glowing, delectable skin of hers, to taste every inch of her…

He brought his lips up to meet Cass's again, only to be locked in another fierce, mind-blowing kiss. Her lips were even softer than the rest of her—if that was even possible—and he could taste the sweet aftereffects of a mint on her tongue.

The intensity of the kiss was mounting with every second, and Teddy felt Cass's fingers settling on his lower abdomen, running her ridiculously soft hands over his taut abs as she pulled his t-shirt up. He pulled away for a moment to pull the shirt up over his head, then tossing it carelessly off to the side somewhere. She then undid his belt and unzipped his pants zipper, allowing him to kick them off. Teddy made quick work of pulling off Cass's camisole and her jeans, revealing that gorgeous skin of hers, that smelled and tasted like heaven, and a matching pair of black lacy under things.

"Good god," Teddy rasped, drinking in the sight of Cass laying underneath him, breathless and hot and glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, wearing naughty lacy things that covered next to nothing. She smiled at him wickedly, and he bent down to capture her lips once more. His lips traveled down the line of her jaw, down her neck and over her small, delicate shoulders. "God, you're so hot…"

"Ted…" she breathed, as he hooked a finger around her bra strap and slid it off her shoulder.

This time it wasn't in protest.

Cass rolled over, repositioning them so that she was on top, and kissed him unlike he'd never been kissed before, her pelvis grinding into his so perfectly that he thought he might pass out on the spot from the sweet torture. It was animalistic, primal, even savage, as she rubbed her sweet, soft skin up against him, her breasts barely covered by the scandalous piece of lace she called a bra. As her kisses trailed downward, over his leanly sculpted chest, he nearly had passed out realizing that this was his goody-goody, tomboy best friend, the one with the skin as soft as rose petals who was doing naughty things to him…

His hands roved over the smooth skin of her back to find her bra clasp, locating it and undoing it in a matter of nanoseconds. Everything was flying by in a whirlwind of sensations and half-formed thoughts, and suddenly Cass was lying beneath him again, very naked from the waist up.

His mouth immediately went to her breasts, and she let out a hitched moan. If any other part of her tasted good, then it was nothing compared to this. He continued to tease her there, feeling her arch her back beneath him and whisper his name—each time causing a surge of heat to his southern regions.

"God, Ted…"

"Cass…"

He couldn't stand it anymore. He needed her right now, right this moment, and he couldn't wait anymore.

"God, Cass…" he groaned, kissing her lips once more. "I need you…"

"Then take me…" she whispered in his ear.

He needed no more encouragement than that.

He pulled off his boxers and her lacy panties—performing a quick Contraception Charm, as well—in the blink of an eye. His lips connected with hers once more and he drove into her, hard. She felt so tight and hot around him, and he fought for control so as not to lose it right then and there. He was so caught up in these sensations that he nearly missed the cry from Cass that could not be mistaken for pleasure.

His eyes—which had been previously closed—shot open and looked down upon Cass. Her eyes were shut tightly as she bit her lower lip, emitting a quiet whimper. Worry washed over Teddy like a tidal wave. He hadn't exactly been gentle, and Cass was now writhing beneath him.

"Cass, are you alright?" he whispered concernedly. She let out a careful breath, and slowly took one in.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," she responded, blowing out another breath. "It's just been a while, that's all…"

"Don't be sorry," he said, suddenly feeling like the world's biggest jerk. "Are you sure you're fine, 'cause we can stop…"

"No, please," she responded quickly. She brought her lips to his. "Please keep going, I'm fine…"

The kiss was turning his mind to mush again… he couldn't stop himself…

He thrust into her again, a bit gentler, and this time, the moan from her was not one of pain. Encouraged, he drove into her again and again. He could not think… the pleasure was intoxicating, the whole world seemed distant and irrelevant… she was so hot and so gorgeous, matching his every motion perfectly… every inch of his body was tingling with pleasurable warmth…

"Oh Ted…" she rasped.

"God…" Teddy growled, his desire spiking every time she said his name. "Say it again…"

"Ted," she whispered in his ear, planting kisses along his jaw line. "Ted… oh Ted…"

He was nearing his climax… it all felt so right, despite all the obvious wrongs… he had never needed release more than he did at this moment…

She was so hot, and she felt so good. Cass let out a small moan—the sexiest, most irresistible sound he'd ever heard—and he knew that she was very close. He snaked his hand between them, and—finding her silky, very wet folds and stoking her there.

Cass cried out, arching her back and throwing back her head. He felt her closing in around him and it was so good… so perfect… he never wanted this moment to stop… he wanted to stay this way until he died… which—with the sweet torture he was enduring, continuously mounting in intensity—was bound to be any moment now…

With one final strangled cry, Cass convulsed beneath him, crashing into the abyss and pulling him along with her.

For a few moments, neither spoke, as their entire mental capacities were momentarily devoted to breathing. Teddy pulled out of Cass and fell down beside her. He brought a hand to his forehead, basking in the awe of what had just happened.

He couldn't wrap his mind around this. Here he was, laying on a completely uncomfortable bed of pokey hay—as naked as a person could be—with Cass lying next to him—equally naked—and he had just had the best sex with her of his short yet moderately experienced life. So much for Isabella's theory that the best sex was the utterly romantic kind.

In his foggy daze, Teddy nearly missed the rustling sounds beside him.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he watched Cass pull on her panties and bra, covering up her gorgeous, soft skin.

"Getting my clothes back on so no one finds us up here buck naked, oh intelligent one," Cass said, throwing Teddy's wadded up t-shirt at his head. "I suggest the same for you."

"Aw… no cuddling?" he cooed jokingly, only to be reprimanded by Cass throwing his wadded up pants at his head, complete with the belt. "Holy fuck, Cass!"

"Well, be serious, why don't you," she said. Teddy could not see her face as he was currently halfway through putting his shirt back on (not to mention the aforementioned pants were draped around his head and face like some sort of drunkenly-wrapped turban), but she sounded a bit worried.

"Are you alright?" he asked concernedly, quickly pulling his pants on and scooting closer to her.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, pulling on her jeans. "I just… I dunno." She fastened the button on her jeans. "What happens next?"

"I haven't a clue," he said, running a hand through his hair—which was turning back to his natural brown from its former red. "I don't know about you, but this hasn't ever happened to me before."

"What, the sex part?" Cass asked incredulously. "Or the having sex with your best friend part?"

"The second one," he elaborated. He and Cass always talked about everything—except sex. "I dunno, Cass. I don't know about you, but that was the best sex I've ever had." She looked at him at that. "I know this is all weird and convoluted, but I think this is worth giving a shot."

"What does that mean?" she asked with a questioning stare.

"Let's do something about this the normal way," he said with a shrug. "Let's go to dinner."

"You mean now?"

"No, genius," Teddy sighed. "Like a date."

She looked taken aback, and she started at him for a few more moments after that, as if waiting for him to say that he was only kidding.

"Seriously?" she asked, sounding neither eager nor as though she dreaded the very idea.

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "Why not?"

"Hmm," she said, thinking it through. "Okay. When?"

"Tomorrow night?" he suggested. "I'll pick you up at eight."

"Right," Cass said, a smile inadvertently making its way onto her face. "Sounds good."

They stared at each other for a moment, sitting very close. Teddy could smell the intoxicating mix of Cass's shampoo, sex and another scent that was simply Cass. Her eyes looked so nice in the dim light of dusk, and he found his own following her collarbone and to the swell of her breasts…

"How… how much time is there until we have to be back for dinner?" Cass whispered, her lips still against his as she spoke. Ted broke the kiss momentarily and—as well as noticing that he was once again on top of Cass—checked his watch.

"An hour…" he whispered back, pulling off his shirt. "Why did we even get dressed again?"

"Oh come on." She smiled slyly. "Ripping each other's clothes off is half the fun."

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**Oh the humanity... **

**This chapter is dedicated to all my fellow smut lovers out there. **

**Oh and to one boy in particular, who probably won't read this and if he did, he wouldn't know it's him. But still, much love to you. :)**

**Love you guys!**

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	10. Dating Part I: Kill Me Now

**HI! **

**OMG I have missed you guys so much!!!! Sorry I haven't been updating, but my stupid teachers keep giving me more homework and they expect me to do it and all... In fact the only reason I'm updating now is because I'm sick today, and my parents let me stay home. **

**Alright, this is _kinda_ a filler chapter, but this stuff is pertinent to the story, so it's not completely worthless. **

**But seriously, this time I'm not updating until I get 15 reviews. And I don't care if I have to wait till Christmas, I'm getting those damned reviews. **

**Lol. Aren't I precious?**

**Happy reading.**

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**Chapter 9:**

**Dating Part I: Kill Me Now**

Teddy plopped down on his bed, fatigue weighing down every inch of him. He had never been more tired in all his life. Sex with Cass was an athletic experience, and thanks to the fact that they'd made a marathon out of it—the two having more sex than Ted knew was possible in the span of an hour—he'd nearly fallen asleep on five separate occasions during dinner.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," he called, no part of his body moving except his mouth. He heard the door squeak open.

"Someone's tired."

"Yeah," he responded, his eyes still closed. He yawned. "Long day."

"I bet," Ginny said. He felt her sit at the foot of his bed. "So." She paused for a moment. "Exactly how many times _did_ you two have sex?"

Teddy sat up with the speed of someone who'd just been poked with a white-hot cattle prod.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a daze, half from sitting up at the speed of light and half from the actual question.

"Oh c'mon, Ted," she sighed. She didn't seem at all mad or upset with him, just like she wanted to know what had happened. "Just admit it."

"Nothing happened," he lied, trying to cover himself by rubbing his eyes as he said it. Ginny sighed again.

"Harry, bring it in," she said to Teddy's open door.

Harry emerged from the hallway and entered Teddy's room, wielding a handheld chalkboard.

"You wouldn't dare," Teddy said, his voice reduced to a grave whisper.

"Talk," Ginny commanded, a solemn look on her face.

"Don't be a hero, Ted," Harry commented with a serious look on his face. "It's not worth it."

"I swear," he said, forcing every muscle in his body to act innocent, his eyes nervously fixed on the chalkboard. "Nothing happened."

Ginny sighed dramatically.

"Do it."

Harry brought his hand up to the chalkboard and drew his nails downward, producing the most heinous, god-forsaken noise Teddy had ever heard. He fell back on his bed, his hands clamped on his ears for dear life, but not hard enough to block out the sound in its entirety, leaving him to writhe and squirm on the bed.

"ALRIGHT!" Teddy shouted. Harry immediately stopped. "We had sex, are you happy?"

"Thank you, dear," Ginny said to Harry as he took a seat at Teddy's desk seat before turning her attention back to Teddy. "Now was that so difficult?"

"No offense, Ginny," he said, recovering from his torture, "but you're kinda the last person I want to share my sexcapades with. 'Cept for Gram of course, since she'd probably drop dead from the shock."

"I realize that, but it was so blatantly obvious!" she exclaimed, laughing a bit. "I mean you came in with your jacket inside out, and you practically fell asleep face-first into your pudding. And Cass, my god, she couldn't have looked more uncomfortable if she'd come in completely starkers. Not to mention the massive hickey you left on her neck."

"Kill me now," Teddy groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Gin…" Harry warned, looking at her sternly.

"What?"

"You're embarrassing him! Ever stop to think that's why he doesn't want to share about his sex life?"

"At least I get him to talk about it somewhat! If it was up to you, he'd just bottle everything up till he explodes! Is that what you want? For Ted to explode?"

"Jesus, Gin, he's not gonna explode if he doesn't share every time he has a fuck!"

"Watch your mouth, your fucking children are up!"

"Harry! Ginny! Shut up, won't you!"

The two of them looked at him.

"My god, people would think you're fifty years older than you are, the way you two bicker," Teddy sighed. "It's fine, I was gonna tell you guys sooner or later anyway."

"Really?" they both said simultaneously. Ginny sounded excited and pleased, while Harry sounded incredulous.

"Why?" Ginny asked, trying to tone down her excitement.

"Because…" he said, bracing himself to say it aloud to someone other than Cass, "because I have a date with Cass. Tomorrow night."

Ginny pounced on Teddy, crushing him in a hug to rival her normal ones on the premise of bone-crushingness.

"Oh, Teddy!" she exclaimed, her embrace still preventing him from normal respiration. "I'm so glad you finally got it through your head!"

"Gin…" Teddy gasped. "Oxygen…"

"Oh right," she said, relinquishing him.

"I finally got what through my head?" he asked her after regaining a lungful of air.

"That you and Cass are supposed to be together!" she declared, looking as cheerful as could be.

"We're going on a date," Teddy said, trying to level out Ginny's extreme excitement. "It's not like we're ready to run away together."

"Oh Ted, what's with the negativity?" she asked, looking at him disapprovingly. "I know the two of you aren't ready to ride off into the sunset together, I'm just excited that the two of you have finally realized that what was good for you was right beside all along."

"Right, Ginny," Teddy said, turning about ten shades of crimson.

"Fine," she sighed, though that mischievous grin had not left her face.

---

_The following night…_

A slew of curse words left Cass's lips as she fell face down onto her bedspread. Damn whatever stupid little tart had invented high heels.

Granted, _she_ had probably been built for them. The girls that were built for heels were remarkably easy to spot: small, slender, curvy, and graceful. Not like Cass, who was angular and beanpole-like and built like a preteen boy—chestless and curveless—and clumsier than a giraffe on rollerblades.

They were built for girls like Elena Parker, who had veela in her blood and was not only utterly gorgeous but petite and girly and could walk in them as if they were nothing more than an extension of her feet. Of course, Elle hadn't listened to that logic when she'd forced her to buy nearly ten pairs, along with about a buzillion different girly articles of clothing.

But all the information that had gone along with them had gone straight out the window. She couldn't remember what denim wash went with which colors, or what pieces mixed well together.

"Watch your mouth young lady."

"Shut up, Gemma," Cass groaned, rubbing her eyes as her younger sister entered her room.

"Someone's in a lovely mood," she mentioned in a offhanded tone. "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?" she asked incredulously, staring at Gemma as though that was the most asinine question ever asked. "What's the matter? I'm supposed to go on a date with Teddy and I'm a built like some sort of deformed squash!"

Gemma just stared at her, a look of excitement creeping onto her face.

"Did you even hear what I just said?"

"I stopped listening after 'date with Teddy'," Gemma said, smiling.

"Stop smiling!" she snapped at her frantically. "It's so easy for you to find all this funny! You got the hair and the eyes and the boobs and everything! What did I get? I got the ass and the massive hips!"

"Hey, you got the cute nose, so shut the hell up," she shot back.

"Oh please, I look like I ran face-long into a retaining wall," she said miserably.

"Okay this a completely pointless conversation," Gemma sighed, getting impatient. "So… does this sudden date have anything to do with the extremely loud sex the two of you had up on the loft yesterday?"

"Oh god, you heard it…" Cass sighed, so mortified that she wanted the earth to swallow her up.

"Cassie, you're a screamer," she chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if Harry and Ginny heard it."

"Kill me now," she whispered against her hands, which were covering her face.

"So you need help getting dressed or what?" Gemma asked sympathetically.

"_Yes,"_ Cass breathed desperately, hugging Gemma. "Thank you."

"Right, enough with the love," she said, standing and going up to closet. "Oh my god, Elle really is a miracle worker. Look at all the acceptable articles of clothing!"

"Was it that awful before?" Cass asked.

"You want the truth?" Gemma's voice came from the depths of her closet.

"Pfff, no," Cass scoffed.

"Then no," Gemma responded, emerging with a flow-y, low-cut dress in a deep, salmon pink dress slung over one arm, a pair of strappy gold sandals in the opposite hand.

"What the hell is that?" Cass asked.

"Something you wear on a date," Gemma replied bluntly.

"I've never worn _anything _like that on a date before," Cass said reluctantly.

"Oh I'm sorry," Gemma corrected herself, laying out the clothes on the bed beside Cass. "It's something _girls_ wear on dates."

"Gem!"

"Cass, you're going to a _nice_ restaurant!" Gemma explained. "You don't show up in combat boots and a skull and crossbones t-shirt!"

"Fine!" Cass conceded. "I'll take your word for it."

"Good girl!" Gemma patted her on the head. "Now, what to do with that hair…"

"Nothing too crazy, Gem," Cass warned her.

"I know, I know..." she said as she went to room for supplies. "Just a nice half updo."

As Gemma gathered up any and every known beauty product she owned and proceeded to bring them into Cass's room in truckloads, Cass retreated into her thoughts.

"Cassie?" Gemma said, wrenching her back into reality. "Look up for me."

"Gemma?" Cass asked, tilting her head back obediently. "Do you think this is stupid?"

"Doing hair is _never _stupid."

"Not that, dizzy," Cass shot back sarcastically. "Is this date thing stupid?"

"You mean dating Teddy?" Gemma asked, running a brush through Cass's hair. Cass nodded. "Not at all."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Gemma assured her with a comforting smile. "I've always thought there was something more to you two than just friends."

"But there's no butterfly thing."

"Butterfly thing?"

"You know," Cass sighed. "The butterflies in the stomach thing. I don't get that in my stomach when I'm around him. I don't get all giggly and stupid around him."

"I thought you hated that," Gemma commented, looking confused as she tapped the curling iron with her wand to get it hot and proceeded to take piece of Cass's honey blonde hair.

"Yeah, but that's how I always knew I liked someone," Cass explained. "Now there's this awesome physical attraction, but I don't get the butterflies."

"Maybe Teddy's just different."

"Or maybe this is a bloody awful idea."

"Or maybe you're paranoid."

"Be honest, Gemma," Cass implored her. "Is this a bad idea?" Gemma sighed and set down the curling iron.

"Cass, as long as you and Teddy have been friends, I've known that someday you guys weren't gonna be just friends anymore," she said in earnest. "It's as plain as day that you guys always had some sort of attraction. You two are good for each other. Now just take my word for it."

"Alright," Cass said. She shot a sidelong glance at the pink dress. "Gemma, are you sure—"

"Shut up and sit still."

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**Alright, the beginning of the next chapter is gonna be Teddy's pre-date jitters.**

**And I know this is gonna be asked sooner or later, so I thought I'd preemptively tell you the order and age of the kids in Cass's family. Cass is (of course) the oldest, at eighteen. Then comes EB, and he's just a year younger at seventeen. Again only a year younger is Gemma (pronounced with a soft g, like Jenna, only with m's in place of the n's) at sixteen. Then there's Thatcher (yes, it was stolen from Grey's Anatomy, but I've always kinda liked that name anyway) who skips a couple years and is nearly fourteen. And as the youngest, there's a set of identical twins--Ava and Lulu, who are seven. **

**And again, no one noticed that I name-dropped Isabella last chapter! Gotta step it up, people...**

**Remember, 15 reviews.**

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	11. Dating Part II: Black Ties and Eavesdrop

**Hey people!**

**Another chapter is here. It's pretty low action but it's an excellent set-up chapter. **

**I guarantee the next chapter will be AWESOME. **

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**Chapter 10:**

**Dating Part II: Black Ties & Eavesdroppers**

"Dammit!"

A bundle of wadded up clothes hit the wall with a _boom_.

What on earth had possessed him to make reservations at a fancy restaurant? He could have just as easily taken Cass to a pizza parlor or a Chinese restaurant and she would've been just as happy, and he wouldn't've had to dress up. He'd gone through ten different button-down shirts and his singular sports coat before his outburst.

He paced around his room, and after a few minutes, he decided that he needed back up.

He went to the meticulously organized center drawer on his desk, pulling out a velvet drawstring bag. He extracted the mirror from the bag, looked into his own reflection for a moment, and annunciated clearly, "Elena Parker."

He waited for a few moments before Elle's tanned face and green eyes appeared on the screen.

"Well look who it is," she said with a grin. "If it isn't Mr. Lovebird himself."

"Cut it out Elle, there are serious things to talk about," Teddy responded, laying out another shirt in an attempt to find something suitable to wear.

"Oh really?" she asked sardonically, looking at something he couldn't see in the mirror. "Enlighten me, why don't you?"

"What do I wear?"

"Oh, _that's_ the problem," Elle laughed. "For a moment I thought you were overreacting."

"Elena Parker, so help me god, if you don't get over here and help me find something to wear…"

"You'll what?" she asked, widening her eyes as if to say "Bring it." "Sleep with me?"

"Ouch, Elle," Teddy replied with feigned insult. "My ego."

"That wasn't your ego that got hurt," she shot back with a smug grin.

"Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Teddy, I have to get to work," she sighed, setting down the mirror at an angle so that she was still visible on Teddy's end. She was looking off the mirror, buttoning up a black vest over a white button-down top. "Remember? That's how I got you the reservations."

"I wish you hadn't," Teddy grumbled.

"Someone's awfully grateful today."

"I'm sorry Elle, but would it have been terrible to just have gone to a Chinese place? Or something else that doesn't involve a suit and tie?"

"This is your first date with Cass!" Elle said, appalled at the very notion of doing something that didn't require black-tie status dress. "Don't you want it to be special?"

"Why does having it at a fancy restaurant make it special?" Teddy groaned.

"Have you ever taken any of your other little tarts to any place as nice as Milk and Honey?" Elle asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey!" Teddy responded. "Isabella wasn't a tart!"

"Granted," Elle said, straightening her tie. "But answer the question."

He heaved a heavy sigh.

"No, I haven't ever taken anyone else out to a nice restaurant."

"Hence the special-ness," Elle concluded, applying a whiff of hairspray to her dark waves. "Alright, I have to go to work."

"Elle!"

"Black suit, white shirt, black tie," she muttered quickly, grabbing her bag. "And stop being so bloody nervous, she's not going to pull a runner."

"I was _not _nervous," he insisted unconvincingly.

"Sure," Elle responded, not believing him for a moment as she threw her house keys into her bag. "I'll see the both of you in about thirty minutes."

Her image faded from the mirror.

"Here goes nothing…" Teddy sighed, pulling on the white shirt.

---

_Knock_, Teddy's head told him. _Knock, you stupid prat._

Teddy had been standing here—on Cass's doorstep—for a good five minutes. And for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door.

It's not as if he hadn't done it before. A million times, in fact. He'd simply lifted his hand and then thrust it at the door with an appropriate velocity. Mechanically, it wasn't very difficult.

But he wasn't here to bug Cass for girl advice or steal whatever fabulous baked good she happened to have created that day. He was here to pick her up. To go on a date.

He had never once in his entire friendship with Cass imagined he'd be here, for this. He had perhaps tossed around the idea, but never seriously. It was always in a 'what-if-we-were-the-last-two-humans-on-earth-and-we-needed-to-repopulate' sort of mindset.

There was a line.

It seemed it had always been there with him and Cass. To separate the appropriate from the inappropriate. The right from the wrong. The should's from the shouldn't's. And it had always been clear just where that line lay. Now it was blurred and smudged, unsure and uncertain.

Realizing he couldn't stand out here forever, Teddy raised a shaking hand and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" someone called from inside.

The doorknob turned and a tall, sandy blonde boy appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Ted," EB greeted him with a smile. He stepped aside, allowing Teddy into the foyer. "Come on in, princess is just finishing up."

"I totally heard that!" came Cass's voice from up the stairs.

"Oh quiet down," EB shot back. He turned his attention back to Teddy. "Gemma's up there with her battalion of beauty products, putting on enough make up to make a drag queen feel like she over applied."

"Alright!" Gemma announced, skipping down the stairs. "She's done!"

Teddy's heart jumped into an uncomfortable place in his throat.

"Alright, alright, enough with the fanfare, Gemma," came Cass's voice from atop the staircase as her foot—laced in a swirly, strappy sandal—appeared on the top step.

Inch by gorgeous inch, Cass glided down the stairs in an extremely graceful and un-Cass-like manner. At that moment, though Teddy had never experienced a heart attack, he was nearly positive that it felt something remarkably like this.

"Hey there," Cass greeted him, suddenly within feet of him. "Don't you look smart?"

"Thanks," Teddy managed to spit out. Cass looked mesmerizing. Her hair—curled and swept back into a chignon—and her swingy, empire-waist dress gave her the appearance of a Greek goddess. "You look…"

"Hold that thought," Cass said after a moment, turning to Gemma and EB. "Do you two mind?"

"Not at all," Gemma said, sitting on the bottom step of the stairs with an 'I'm not going anywhere' sort of look about her.

"Go!" she snapped, both of them immediately jumping right up and scurrying upstairs. Cass chuckled.

"I'm always amazed at how easy that is," she remarked, turning back to Teddy with a smile. "I keep thinking they'll realize that I don't have any real power to back up my demands."

"Yeah," Teddy offered. _Stupid!_ he internally scolded himself. _Can't you think of a single intelligent thing to say? It's Cass, for Merlin's sake! _

They both stood there for a moment, each trying to figure out their next move. Up until this point they'd had help along, Gemma helping Cass and Elle helping Teddy. From here on, there was no helping hand to reassure them that this was the right thing. It was all uncharted territory, a vast new land obscured by fog and mist.

And they were all each other had to find their way through the mist.

"Nervous?" Cass asked, her voice low.

"No," Teddy responded, answering too quickly to be taken entirely seriously. Cass widened her eyes knowingly. "Right, maybe a bit."

"Oh, well, you wanna know a secret?" Cass laughed, leaning in toward Teddy's face. "I am too."

"Really?" Teddy said, keeping his voice level despite the fact that Cass was desperately close. Her eyes—void, for this night only, of their usual glasses—were bright and glowing with a million facets of color and light. Her freckles, spattered lightly across her nose and cheekbones, were so endearing and, rather surprisingly, so sexy and playful...

"Yeah." Cass nodded, a soft, sultry grin spreading across her face. "This is weird, right?"

"A little," Teddy agreed, shifting inconspicuously. "I mean, did you ever think…?"

"Did I ever think that I'd be going out on a date with you?" Cass asked pointedly. She heaved a laugh. "No, I'd have to say that I didn't."

She smelled remarkable. That jasmine-y perfume she always wore suddenly smelt different. Before it had always just been associated with Cass. Now he thought of that afternoon in the loft.

"It's supposed to be weird, I think," Cass told him. "It's different and new, and we never thought we'd be doing this."

"You think it'll get easier?" Teddy asked.

Cass was about to answer when she apparently heard a noise and turned around, finding every one of her brothers and sisters seated on the stairs, spying. She laughed and went to the door, ushering Teddy outside while muttering, "Damn eavesdroppers…"

Closing the door behind her, she responded, "I think so."

"Good," Teddy sighed with relief, smiling his famous Teddy Lupin smile and Cass returning one. "Then let's go. Elle has our reservations waiting for us."

Teddy felt a bit more at ease as the both of them walked to the Apparating point. Cass had always had a really good sense of things, and her saying that she thought that it would get better put his mind instantly at ease.

They'd at least begun to cross the line. So far, so good.

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**Hmmm... what do you think? The start of something new? Or famous last words? **

**Well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?**

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	12. Dating Part III: All Sorted

**HOLA! **

**Okay you guys, THIS is a yet another action packed chapter. And for once that's not sarcastic!! YAY!**

**Alright, this is dedicated to my cousin who was bucked off her horse and is now suffering a badly bruise hip. Oh and XxStephXx, who finally got back on _her_ proverbial horse and published a cute one shot! Neither of them will probably ever see this, but they deserve to have something dedicated them!**

**Oh and I want to turn on any Taylor Swift fans who may not be aware of her new video hit, "Our Song," to said song. It's quite awesome if I do say so myself. So yeah. Woot for Taylor Swift for winning the Horizon award at the CMA's.**

**Happy Reading.**

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**Chapter 11: **

**Dating III: All Sorted**

"Hi, welcome to Milk and Honey, my name is Elena and I'll be your—" Elle started off before looking up from her pen and paper to who was seated at the table, "server. Well that introduction was entirely unnecessary," she added, chuckling. "What can I get the two of you to drink?"

"A bottle of Pinot Grigio for the table, please," Cass requested.

"Alright, I'll return with that in just a minute," Elle said with a smile.

"Grigio?" Teddy asked incredulously, chuckling a bit. "For the girl who can down five shots of whiskey and fly a broom without killing herself or someone else?"

"Hey, I can be a right dignified broad when I want to!" Cass laughed. "You underestimate me, Ted Lupin."

Teddy laughed.

And an instant later, he regretted letting them lapse into a silence that was awkward enough to make him yearn for the sexcapades talk with Ginny.

This had been how it ever since they got to the restaurant. One witty comment or two tossed back and forth and then, silence. That's how it had been when they were waiting to be seated, that's how it'd been while they were waiting for Elle to come and ask their drink order and that's how it was now.

How was that things were so awkward? Just over twenty four hours ago, they had ripped each other's clothes off without any inhibitions or second thoughts and had wild—not to mention really loud—sex on a hay loft. Teddy had thought that would make them more comfortable—after all, the awkward 'getting to know you' stage was _far_ behind them—but it had only seemed to make things more complicated. It seemed that their minds could not adjust to the fact that they were… some weird something. Somewhere in between friends and more. And neither knew how to behave in the middle ground.

"One bottle of Pinot Grigio," Elle said cheerily, setting the glasses down in front of each of them with a offhanded grace. "You two ready to order?"

"Erm, I think we need a couple more minutes," Cass said, looking up from her menu.

"Alright, just flag me down when you're ready," Elle responded with a nod.

As soon as Elle had rounded the corner into the kitchen, Cass quickly downed her entire glass in a single draft.

"Nervous, are we?" Teddy asked, eyeing her bone dry glass.

"A bit," she croaked, still in the middle of choking down the wine. "But don't act like you aren't too."

"I'm not denying it," he chuckled. "I just don't know how to fix it."

"Well, first let's decide what we're gonna order, I'm starving," Cass said, glancing back down at the menu. "And you know that everything seems worse when you're hungry. What looks good to you?"

"Erm…" Teddy said, scanning the menu for something he liked. There was an awful lot of fish on this bloody menu, he thought to himself. Teddy hated fish. Beef, pork, chicken, that was all fine, but there was something about fish.

He looked at up Cass, who looked like an angel in the candlelight. The low golden flicker of the flame lit up her skin as if it had been dusted with gold flecks. He traced the line of her neck with his eyes, following the gold necklace that complemented her radiant skin so nicely and the pedant that dipped so deliciously low on her bodice…

"Anything catch your eye?" she asked, taking a more modest sip of wine.

"Er…" he responded, trying to focus back on the menu. "I think I'll have the cleavage."

Cass nearly spit her wine out as shock and mortification slapped Teddy across the face. He couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth. Never in his life—not even during Ginny's sex talks—had he ever done anything even remotely like this.

Cass simply stared at him in humorous incredulity.

"That," she said, "is not on the menu."

"Cass, I am _so_ sorry," Teddy said, wishing he could evaporate on the spot. "I just—"

"—was rather intrigued by my chest," Cass finished for him, laughing.

"Cass—"

"Oh Ted, calm down," she said dismissively. "You've seen my breasts already, they're old news."

As Teddy was about to respond when a woman in his peripheral caught his eye. Doing an immediate double take, he watched the woman make her way over to the bathroom area, her jet black curls tumbling down her back, her impeccable legs seemingly going on forever.

"Ted?" Cass asked, noticing his reverie. "You alright?"

"Er, yeah, great," Teddy answered quickly, his eyes still locked on that woman. He set his napkin on the table, adding, "I'll be right back."

He stood and followed her in hot pursuit, carefully dodging waiters and servers all the while. She was just about to enter the bathroom when Teddy caught her.

"Hey," Teddy said.

"_Excuse_ me," the woman said, clearly annoyed as she turned around.

Teddy's heart fell. Being so close to her, he could clearly see that this woman was not the one he thought he'd seen: she was too short, her eyes were blue, not brown, and her face was entirely different.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were an old friend," Teddy apologized, offering a conciliatory grin as he backed away, back to the table.

"Sorry bout that," Teddy said, giving Cass a peck on the cheek as he returned to the table.

"What was it?" Cass asked cautiously.

"I thought I saw Is—" Teddy responded before he could check himself. But it was too late.

The look in Cass's eyes was unmistakable. A white hot embers smoldered behind her eyes, and all it would take is one more stupid comment to turn it into a full-blown, blazing inferno. Teddy'd seen this look a million times, and it _never _meant anything good, especially not for him.

"Cass…" he said in a low, careful tone. "I didn't…" He stopped himself, knowing that would end up being a stupid comment. "It wasn't…" Again, stupidity.

"Oh, I know exactly what it was," she responded in a sickeningly sweet voice, dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "You thought that woman was Isabella and all of a sudden I was on the backburner again."

"Merlin, Cass, I haven't seen her in two years!" Teddy shot back, losing patience with her. "Is it so awful that I wanted to see her? Or do you really hate her that much?"

"Bloody hell Ted, it's not about her!" she responded, her tone harsh but her volume low. "It's about you! When you were with Isabella, I was _always_ an afterthought! And sure, Isabella didn't help things, but _you_ made it so! And now you're letting it happen again!"

"Would you stop being so bloody dramatic and let us get back to the date!"

And then came the inferno.

Cass rose from her chair as quick as lightning, the chair making an ominous screech sound as she pushed it back from the table. In another instant, she had grabbed his wine glass and thrust its contents into his face.

"How's that for dramatic?"

With a look that could melt titanium, Cass slammed the glass down on the table with a clatter and stalked off towards the bathroom.

As Teddy grabbed his napkin and wiped the wine off this face, he became acutely aware of the fact that there were about forty pairs of eyes glued on him, watching him contemplate his next move. Deciding that diving into the unknown and tampering with the forces of nature was better than being a carnival slideshow and sitting there like a bump on a log, he rose from his seat and went after Cass, catching her just as she was about to enter the bathroom.

"What's the matter with you tonight?" Teddy asked incredulously. "First you won't talk, then when you finally have something to say, you scream at me till your blue in the face!"

"What's the matter with _me_?" she asked, marveling at the idiocy of that comment. "Oh nothing, I just thought that I'd be going on a date where the guy actually paid attention to me instead of a woman who somewhat resembles his ex girlfriend, silly me!"

"Oh come off it, Cass!" Teddy shot back, sick and tired of Cass nagging him about Isabella.

"_You_ come off it!" she spat. "Are you really that inept, or does your Neanderthal-sized brain really not grasp this concept? I never hated Isabella, Ted! In fact, she told me that she was interested in you before you two started dating and I encouraged her to go for it! What I hated was the fact that you made her the center of the universe and expected everyone to just bloody accept it! I was—I am—your best friend! I don't expect you to come out with the Cass-centric universe anytime soon, but dammit, I expect to be able to have a decent time without Isabella dominating everything!" She let out an indignant snort. "You know what, just leave me alone. Go fuck something."

She pushed on the bathroom door and left Teddy standing in the hallway, who again decided that braving Cass's world-renowned temper was better than standing there and doing nothing, and entered the bathroom after her.

She was standing at the sink, sighing at her reflection in the mirror—her heels already ditched off to the side of the bathroom, their position on the ground indicating that they had probably been thrown against the wall prior to falling back down to earth—when she was alerted to his presence by the click of the door closing behind Teddy.

"I told you to go—"

She barely got the words out before he kissed her.

Teddy could taste the sweet remnants of wine and her lip gloss—the very small, only partially functioning portion of Teddy's brain thought it tasted something like cherry—on her lips.

With a slight thud, Cass's back hit the bathroom wall, and she emitted a giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, nibbling on her ear.

"You know…" she said, taking in short breathy gasps, "when I said that you should go fuck something… the implication was that it would be something other than me."

"Oh, well," Teddy said, smiling as her captured her lips in another intoxicating kiss. "I couldn't really grasp the concept. Neanderthal-sized brain, and all—"

"Oh shut up already," she responded.

--

"Well, that certainly was fun," Teddy breathed, his hair—yet again changing back to brown from bright scarlet—standing on end in several awkward directions.

He and Cass were leaning against that same wall—Cass sandwiched between the wall and Teddy—barely able to hold themselves up as they caught their breath.

"I'll say," Cass said, smiling softly. "Who knew you could have sex like that against a bathroom wall?"

"Not me," he chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"So anyway," Cass said, leaving the wall and Teddy's embrace, still _very_ naked as she walked over to where her dress lay on the floor, "we should probably get out of here."

"Right," Teddy said, glancing around in search of his underwear, locating them on the sink and pulling them on. "So," he said, walking towards Cass, "do you want to go back to my place?"

"With Harry and Ginny listening at your door and Lily, James and Al sleeping down the hall?" Cass suggested incredulously, laughing as she zipped up her dress. "I don't think so."

"I meant the apartment in London," Teddy said, throwing his shirt back on and buttoning it up. "I put the down payment on it today."

"I still don't think so," she said reluctantly, stepping into her heels.

"Right, and why not?" he asked, a little put out by her distant attitude as he pulled on his pants.

"Because, I think we should just be friends," Cass told him frankly, looking him in the eye. "And don't take it the wrong way, this is as much for you as it is for me."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Because aside from the sex, this was the weirdest night of my life," Cass said. "Between your comment about my rack, and me dumping Pinot Grigio in your face over Isabella, I doubt I've ever been on or heard of a worse date in my life. I mean, don't you agree?"

Teddy thought about it for a moment. On one hand, there was the sex, which was unromantic yet utterly perfect in every respect. There was Cass and her glowing skin that was silkier than satin and tasted sweeter than honey.

On the _other_ hand… there was absolutely nothing more than a physical attraction between the two of them. When the pretense was friendship, their conversations were legendary. When it wasn't, all there was were their bumbling inability to formulate a cogent sentence, and there was enough tension to strangle a bull elephant. There was no sweet swooning feeling or butterflies. Just a really intense physical attraction. And the question wasn't which was the better option: staying together for the sex, or stopping it because of the awkwardness.

It was whether or not a relationship could be founded solely on that physical attraction.

"Think about it, Ted," Cass implored him. "Is there any spark for you? Do you feel excited when you know you're going to see me? More than before all this, I mean?"

Teddy thought about it one final time.

"No," he responded, shaking his head.

"Then why are we wasting our time?" she asked. "Your mind is elsewhere. I know I'm still your friend, but you don't see me like that. And frankly I don't see you like that either. And contrary to my rant earlier, your mind isn't on Isabella."

"Who are you talking about?" Teddy asked, laughing now that the pressure had been taken off.

"Mademoiselle Twiggy," Cass responded, a teasing grin on her face. "You said you would talk to her when you got everything sorted. Now they're sorted."

"What if it doesn't pan out?" Teddy asked uncertainly.

"Oh come _on_!" she responded in her special brand of Cass-impatience. "You're Teddy Lupin! You have legions of girls clamoring for you! Women want you and men want to be you!"

"But she's… what if she doesn't want me?"

Cass calmed a bit, noting the sincerity of his concern, and her face softened.

"Then I'll be here," she said softly. "I'll always be here. I'll be your plan B."

Teddy felt wave after soothing wave of relief wash over him.

Everything was sorted.

"Thanks, Cassie," Teddy said, hugging her quickly before running to the door, knowing exactly where he was going. Before he was completely out the door, he doubled back real quick. "Are you okay to get home?"

"What am I, five?" she joked sternly. "Go get her, Casanova!"

--

"I got it!" Teddy heard someone—a beautiful, wonderful someone—call from inside. Footsteps grew louder and closer, until he heard the door click unlocked and it swung open before him, Vic standing in the doorway in a t-shirt and a pair of sweats and her hair pulled back and looking like an angel.

"Teddy," she said, tucking a strand of her ice blonde hair behind her ear. She acted distantly surprised and confused, reacting to him as if he were an illusion, not quite real. "What… what are you doing here?"

"Everything's sorted," he said breathlessly, offering a small but genuinely happy smile. "I'm all sorted."

A gentle, beautiful smile bloomed on her face as does a rose, opening slowly but worth the wait.

"I'm glad, Teddy."

He took a shaky step toward her, feeling the heady, swooning feeling and butterflies take full effect. He brushed a stray tendril from her face, his fingertips barely brushing her exquisite porcelain skin. Her eyes were so wide and gorgeous and they were as bright as the stars that littered the sky that night.

And when he kissed Victoire, he felt the spark.

All was sorted.

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**And so ends Part 1 of "The Fine Line." :D**

**Don't worry it won't be another story, I just have it because the next chapter will be following a jump into the future. **

**Oh, this is also dedicated to Teddy/Victoire shippers. I couldn't say that at the beginning without giving it away lol.**

**Anyway, REVIEW!**

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	13. Almost A Year Later

**Hi there!!!!**

**Part II has arrived!!!!!!! YAY! Lol. Is anyone as excited as me? Anyone? Anyone?**

**Alright so this is just a chapter that's meant to ease you all into Part II, so nothing HUGE happens, but still, it's a rather good chapter if I do say so myself. Next chapter SHOULD bring more action, but I can't guarantee it. I haven't quite decided if I'll need another preceding chapter, but action is coming. I promise!**

**Happy reading. **

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**Note: Joaquin is pronounced "Wa-keen", just in case anyone was thinking his name was "Joe quinn". Think Joaquin Phoenix, that guy from Walk The Line.

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**

**Part II**

**Chapter 12: **

**Almost A Year Later**

"Back down, you rogue!" Cass ordered Joaquin, Teddy's roommate, as the two were locked in a heated battle. "Surrender now!"

"Never!" Joaquin declared valiantly, though his efforts were futile. Cass was clearly winning this arm wrestling contest.

This had all arisen from Joaquin boasting that he could beat anyone at any contest—this had followed the ingestion of about four beers or so. Cass—who was the kind of person who wouldn't cede defeat except from her cold, lifeless grasp—had immediately accepted his challenge and proceeded to whip his ass at every contest presented to her while Teddy, Elle and Cyrus looked on, shaking their heads. They, being lucky, had learned long ago that the only way walk away with your dignity when competing with Cass was not to compete at all.

Joaquin and Teddy had known each other for the ten months, since they'd started the intern program at St. Mungo's together. And once Teddy realized that interns were paid next to nothing, Joaquin had moved in to ease Teddy's financial burden. It had also helped that Joaquin hadn't found a place to live. As for Cass, she was still living with her siblings, only in the room above the garage so that she could gain some semblance of privacy—even though when it was unlocked Gemma, EB, Thatch, Ava and Lulu came in and out of it as if it were the kitchen or the living room or some other room of equal public use.

"Ah HA!" Cass said, resoundly whipping Joaquin by slamming his hand down on the counter. "Look who got beaten by a little girl!"

"Rematch!" Joaquin shouted, slamming his arm down on the counter, ready to do battle yet again.

"Not a chance!" Cass jeered, doing a rather goofily provocative victory dance. "You can kiss my lily-white ass, Joaquin!"

"Fine then how about another contest?" Joaquin said.

"Right, bring it on," Cass said, retaking her seat on her stool. "What sort of contest are we talking about?"

"How 'bout…" Joaquin started off with a mischievous grin on his face, "a penis contest! I win!"

Teddy, Elle and Cyrus all snorted into their drinks.

"Right, you win," Cass responded, doubled over in laughter.

"That's right," Joaquin said, wearing a triumphant smirk on his handsome features as he leaned back in his chair, Cass rising from hers and going to the fridge, where she extracted a bottle of water for herself. "_I_ win. You can't beat me, because it all comes down to the penis contest, and when it comes down to that, I will always—"

"Joaquin, shove it or I'll challenge you to a vagina contest," Cass responded with a overly sweet smile on her face.

"Fine," Joaquin said with the air of a pouty little kid, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hey Elle?" Teddy said, glancing warily at the raw meat on the counter, "I need your help."

"Teddy, have you even started?" she asked, hopping off of her stool and coming around the island towards him.

"Er no," he said helplessly, Elle rolling her eyes at him. "Hey, cut me some slack. I'm a bloke, what the bloody hell do I know about cooking?"

"That's not an excuse, Cy can cook," Elle said, nodding in Cyrus's direction.

"You can _what_?" Teddy asked incredulously.

"Cook, mate," Cyrus said, without a shred of embarrassment.

"How did I not know this?" Teddy asked. "I'm supposed to be your best friend!"

"Oh calm down, Mum taught me ages ago," he said dismissively. "The ladies love it."

"The ladies down at the home don't count, Cyrus," Cass put in, chuckling.

"Come back to my place," Cyrus responded quickly, a suave smile on his face. "You'll see; my cooking's so sexy it'll make your panties fly off."

"UGH, CYRUS!" Elle shrieked, looking disgusted.

"My panties like their place, thanks," Cass said, looking mildly amused.

"I bet they do."

"Cyrus, so help me god, if you value your potency, shut the bloody hell up," Elle shot back at him, her glare murderous. "Because I'm about one double entendre away from chopping of your nuts with a butcher cleaver."

"Alright, I'm done," Cyrus sighed.

"Finally, now Teddy," Elle said, turning her attention away from Cyrus, "this really isn't all that difficult. You take the meat out, you season it and cook it."

"I don't wanna burn it," Teddy said tentatively. Elle sighed.

"Victoire better feel damn lucky that me and Cass can cook, or else she would starve on your dates," Elle said, proceeding to cook the food for him. "Cass, mind giving me a hand?"

"Hm?" she said absent-mindedly, looking up from her watch.

"Do you care to lend your culinary prowess?" Elle asked. Just for extra traction, she added, "Oh kitchen goddess?"

"Oh sorry, I can't help," Cass said, hopping off her stool and checking her watch again. "I actually have to go."

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Elle asked.

"Because," Cass said, a serene smile on her face as she went for the door, "I have a date to get ready for."

Her smile—followed by the closed door—met two blank stares (Joaquin had passed out, face down on the counter and was snoring like a Hungarian Horntail with congestion).

"Date?" Cyrus asked, confused.

"Yeah, like the precursor to a relationship, smart ass," Elle said, still staring at the door. She turned her inquiring gaze to Teddy. "Did you know about this?"

"No, I'm as surprised as you," Teddy said calmly, grabbing spices out of the cupboard. "What seasonings are we using, Elle?"

"Teddy, focus!" she answered indignantly, slapping his arm as to reprimand him, but at the same time putting the meat in a pan and starting to cook it. "How did this date"—at that word, she used air quotes—"come about?"

"I didn't even know the date existed, what makes you think I know anything else about it?" he asked, laughing a bit at their enthusiasm.

"How can you be so bloody calm about this?!" Elle asked, far too eager over this latest development. "This is the first date she's been on since—" she stopped herself before she said anymore, unsure if this topic was appropriate to broach.

"What is it with you guys?" Teddy asked, closing the cupboard door. "You can say it; it's the first date she's been on since me. I don't get why that's such a cause for a stir."

"Because it happened in July and it's almost been a full year since then," Elle put in emphatically, like the significance of this was going right over Teddy's head. "It means she's over you."

Teddy burst out laughing.

"You guys," he started off, still chuckling, "she was never _into_ me."

"Right, then why did you two even ever go out?" Cyrus asked. "You didn't seem particularly interested, as you got together with Vic a mere half an hour after your date with Cass ended."

Teddy and Elena shared a furtive glance; Elena was the only one who knew the whole truth about Teddy and Cass's little escapades last summer (aside from Gemma, Harry, and Ginny).

"Look, Cy," Teddy explained. "We gave it a try, and at the end of the night, we both realized that we were just friends. And as far as Cass not dating at all after me? Since when has she ever been a serial dater? She went on what, maybe four dates in her entire life before me, and just because in the last ten months she hasn't had a date really doesn't mean anything." He looked at both of them, waiting for a 'But!'. They both remained silent, so he added, "End of story."

"Please," Cyrus responded, rolling his eyes. "It never ends."

At that moment, Joaquin heaved a particularly heavy snore, waking himself up.

"Wha…" he said groggily, leaving a stringlet of spit from the side of his mouth to the spot on the counter where he had drooled. "Wha I miss?"

"Nothing, oh drunken one," Elle said without missing a beat. She handed Teddy the spatula. "Take this."

"Why?" Teddy barely managed to say before the door opened, and Victoire walked in, wearing a pretty red satin dress, a pair of black Mary Janes, and the world-renowned Victoire Weasley smile that made man and beast alike melt.

"Hey Teddy."

"Hey Vic," he said, immediately thanking his lucky stars for Elle and her Seer abilities.

"Right, the girlfriend's here," Joaquin said, stumbling off his stool. "Everybody who's not Teddy, time to head to the pub."

"Joaquin, don't you think you've had just about enough to drink?" Cyrus asked him.

"Never," he said, stumbling off his stool. "Oops."

"Here, how about we get you to bed?" Elle said, taking Joaquin under one of his arms. "Cy, help me out."

"Nice seeing you, Vic," Cyrus said with a smile, as the two of them helped Joaquin to his bedroom. "See ya, Ted, we'll just apparate out after we get Drinky here to bed."

"Alright, night guys," he said, turning over the meat like Elle had instructed him to.

"Night," they said from up the stairs.

"Fun night?" she asked serenely, taking a seat across from the oven at the island.

"It is now," he said with a genuine smile. A small blush overtook her fair cheeks, and she smiled back.

"That smells amazing," she noted. She raised her voice a bit. "Elena, what do you call that?"

There was no response for a moment, as Victoire wore her knowing smile.

"Carne asada," came Elle's sheepish response.

"Damn, I'm good," she said with a mischievous smile unfurling on her ruby red lips.

"You know me too well," he said, smiling. "I've missed you."

She smiled again.

"I missed you too."

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**Hmmm... lol. Like it? Review!!!!!!! Review!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Even if you don't like it, REVIEW!**

**Should be another week until an update, maybe longer. But never fear, once I get off on Christmas break, I promise at least three updates while school's out. Thanks everyone!**

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	14. Promises, Promises

**WHO'S AMAZING?! WHO GOT ANOTHER CHAPTER UP A _DAY_ AFTER ANOTHER ONE?!**

**Yup. That's right. **

**Alright, you can all thank me later. Here's the chappy, and btw, I actually got to the action in this chapter. **

**Happy reading.**

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Chapter 13: 

**Promises, Promises **

"I don't get what the problem is, Teddy!" Victoire shouted at him, her porcelain cheeks flushed with crimson.

"Clearly you don't or we wouldn't be having this conversation!" Teddy shot back, more than tired of having this conversation with her.

"Andrew is my friend! Yes, I'm around him a lot but there's nothing _there_!"

"I'm sure there isn't…"

"Could you _be_ any more condescending?! What have I done to deserve that?!"

"Have you even been listening?! I just told you that I don't want you hanging out with him!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?! You are _never _around and you just expect me to not hang out with _anyone_?!"

"I _do _expect you not to lead some bloke on and stop playing games with me!"

"I'm NOT playing fucking games with you, you stupid bastard! You're blowing this _completely_ out of proportion!"

"Oh I am, am I?"

Teddy and Victoire were locked in yet another one of their epic fights, with Elle and Cyrus planted on the stairs, listening and enjoying Bertie Bott's. It had taken nearly an hour and a half—and nearly all of their wits—to get Joaquin to go down, and by the time they were about to apparate out of there, they heard the shouting and couldn't resist themselves.

"This is the best one yet," Cyrus whispered, picking a light pink bean—hoping it was watermelon. "You think this'll be it?"

"Hmm," Elle said uncertainly, chewing on a roast beef flavored bean. "I think they'll be back together in a week."

"Wanna put money on it?" Cyrus asked. She eyed him for a few moments, as if contemplating if this would be a smart bet.

"You're on," she said, shaking his hand. "Five galleons says they'll be back together in a week or two."

"How wrong you are, younger sister," he said confidently. "How wrong you are."

Teddy and Victoire had an interesting relationship, for lack of a more accurate term. Yes, they were crazy for one another, but they still seemed to 'break up' every month or so. It was never over anything remotely enough to keep them apart for more than a week or two, but the two never seemed to be able to keep the fights from breaking out.

At that moment, a soft _pop_ sound came from behind where Cyrus and Elena were seated on the stairs.

"I heard them out in the hall and I decided it would be safer just to apparate in instead," Cass chuckled, grabbing a handful of beans for herself without missing a beat. "What did I miss?"

"About three 'who-the-hell-do-you-think-you-are's, two 'oh-I-am-am-I's, and one 'stupid bastard'," Cyrus filled her in.

"I just don't get how the two of them can be so mad about each other, and still find a reason to break up every other month," Elle pondered aloud, examining a greenish one in the low light, hoping it was a green apple bean. "It would drive me nuts."

"You both will probably drop dead of shock, but I think it's cute," Cass whispered, a smile on her face as she chewed a purple bean, uncertain what its flavor was.

"You?" Cyrus asked incredulously, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "You are the biggest, most jaded un-romantic _ever_. Entertaining, yes, but you're telling me you find this _cute_?"

"Yeah." Cass shrugged, a little smile on her face. "I dunno. I just think it's kinda sweet. My mum and dad did that a lot when they were dating."

"They're dead though," Cyrus said, with all the tact of a four-year-old on caffeine. "Clearly they weren't doing something right."

_"Cyrus!"_ both Elle and Cass whisper-shouted at him—Elle's exclamation more out of indignation, and Cass's coming from a 'I-can't-believe-he-just-said-that-but-taking-it-in-good-humor' frame of mind—as both preceded to slap one side of his head.

"MMMMCH!" came Cyrus's muffled cry, as Elle and Cass had realized that he wasn't going to be quiet with his whining and both had covered his mouth.

"Cyrus, so help me god, SHUT UP!" Elena whisper-screamed at him. He nodded his head, as he couldn't respond verbally.

"Fine, I'll shut up," he said when he regained his mouth, glancing at the both of them. Looking at Cass, he noticed she was wearing heels and a silk top. "How was your date?"

"Later," Cass insisted, waving her hand dismissively. "Shhh."

"We never get to see each other, and yet all you do when we're together is bitch about something stupid!"

"Excuse me, but maybe if someone was a little less friendly with _Andrew_ I wouldn't have to bitch all the damn time!"

"There is NOTHING going on with Andrew!"

"I never get to see you during the school year, how am I supposed to know that!"

"You're supposed to believe your girlfriend when she tells you what happened! And you _can_ come visit me during school, you know! I, however, can't leave the grounds to come visit _you_!"

"I'm sure you'll be fine with Andrew…"

"WHY DON'T YOU SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP, YOU POMPOUS BASTARD! I'M CRAZY ABOUT YOU, YOU ENORMOUS PRAT, AND ALL YOU CAN EVER DO IS MAKE ME FEEL GUILTY WHEN I'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!"

Teddy felt the proverbial slap hit his face.

There was always this moment in the fight, where the one who'd started it realized that this all was stupid. After that, the one who hadn't started it would either break up with the one who had started it, or they would make up on the spot. But this was different; actually, not so much different as amplified. Usually the only casualties of their fights were their egos. But now, looking in Vic's eyes that were bluer than the sky and the sea, he knew that he'd bruised more than just her ego.

"Clearly you don't trust me at all," she said very softly, her voice indicating that she was on the verge of tears. "And if we don't trust each other, then we really don't have much of a relationship, do we?"

"Vic—"

"Just shut up, Teddy," she said, sounding very tired as she grabbed her coat and her bag. "Just shut up. Every time you open your mouth tonight, I get just a little bit closer to tears." She walked to the door, and looked back at him as she opened the door. "Leave me alone. And this time, for good."

She pulled on her coat and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Teddy didn't know what to do. He looked around the room, realizing how alone he was.

Without warning, he picked up the vase of flowers on the coffee table and hurled it across the room, and watched it shatter against the wall. He fell to the sofa, the reality sinking in faster than he could keep it away.

All three of them on the stairs shared glances of utter disbelief.

"I was RIGHT!" Cyrus whisper-yelled in excitement. "Pay up!"

Elle, still wearing that look of incredulity, opened up her money sack and doled out five galleons.

Cass said nothing, standing up from her step.

"I'll take care of him tonight," she said quietly. "You and Elle took the last turn."

"Alright," Elle said, giving her a quick hug. "Good luck."

After Cyrus and Elle had apparated back to their apartment, Cass descended the stairs and went to Teddy in the living room.

"Ted," she whispered, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He looked up, knowing who it was before he did so. Just as he could look in Victoire's eyes and just know what she was feeling, he just knew Cass's touch.

She sat down on the couch beside him, and wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry, Ted," she whispered, pulling away to look at him, making sure he was okay. "But it'll be okay. I promise it will."

"How was your date," he managed to say. Something inside him didn't want to talk about what had just happened. She nodded, understanding immediately.

"It was okay," she shrugged, leaning back into the cushy couch. "He was a nice guy, but for me he didn't really have much else going on."

"Translation: he was ugly," Teddy joked, chuckling a little bit.

"Hey, why do you always think that's my problem with guys?!" she shot back, smiling. "I'm not _that_ shallow!"

"Alright, then what didn't this guy have going for him?" Teddy asked. "Was he boring?"

"No…" Cass said thoughtfully, staring at the ceiling.

"Was he a sexual deviant?"

"God, I wish."

"Did he have kids?"

"Not with him."

"Oh, I bet he said you looked fat."

"Ted!"

"Ouch!" Teddy yelped, rubbing the spot on the back of his head where Cass had slapped him. "Fine, then what was wrong with him?"

Cass looked at Teddy with one of her 'looks', where they just knew what the other meant.

"I knew it!" Teddy said triumphantly, grinning fiendishly. "He _was_ ugly!"

"I know, I'm a shallow tart!" she said sheepishly, covering her face with her hands. "Is it so horrible to ask for someone with everything going for them AND good looks?"

"No, it's not," Teddy assured her, still chuckling a bit. "That's what I've got with—"

They both knew what he was about to say.

Something hurt so badly. Something deep inside his chest hurt. No, it wasn't the worst pain he'd ever endured, but it hurt so intently. Actually— he realized—it wasn't a pain. It was nothing. There was simply a void.

And there was Cass, so close… he could smell her sweet-scented hair and count her freckles… her lips were so full and he wanted so badly to feel them against his…

"Ted…" she said warningly, her eyes cold and hard. "Don't do it if you'll hate yourself for it."

"I feel nothing," he whispered desperately, and her eyes visibly softened. "I feel nothing, and it's killing me. And what I need is to feel something other than the nothing I feel."

She looked at him for a moment, as if she was trying to decide if he'd regret it.

"Okay," she said, nodding.

It had been months since he'd tasted her lips, yet the moment his lips touched hers it was as if it had been no time at all. Everything was as it had been the first time they kissed—quick and deep and desperately hot—and every subsequent time.

He reached for the buttons on her silky blouse, fumbling as he fought to undo them… he could feel more and more of her beautiful, soft skin, under his hands…. it all was coming at him so quickly and he didn't want it to slow down…

He felt a pang of something in his stomach, and he knew immediately it was not of sadness or emptiness.

Guilt.

His mind ran to Victoire, and what she was going to say if and when she found out.

He pushed it away. He could not let his mind travel to her, the girl with the hair as bright as the sun and the eyes that were bluer than anything on earth.

Because if he did, he wouldn't know what to do.

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**OOOOO... oh what a tangled web we weave...**

**Now review. And some substantial reviews, people, not just "Cute! Update!". **

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	15. A Little Less Wrong

**Who's good?**

**Enjoy. ;) And review.**

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Chapter 14: 

**A Little Less Wrong **

It had been two weeks since Teddy and Victoire had broken up.

And it had been one week since the two had gotten back together.

Teddy hadn't told anyone about being with Cass, and neither had Cass. In actuality, he didn't feel heart-wrenching guilt over that night.

To everyone around him, his shock that Victoire had come back a week later to apologize didn't make any sense.

"This happens every two months," Elle had told him with that know-it-all tone and the eye roll that he could actually hear in her voice. "You're telling me that you had no inkling that you just _might_ get back together in record-breaking time?" She had then glanced at Cyrus, slapping him limply against his arm, as if to get his attention. "By the way, you still owe me that five galleons back."

"Not listening," he'd replied in the most mature, singsong voice he could muster, covering his ears with his hands and walking out of the room.

But despite others' shocked reactions, he had still been surprised when she'd shown up that night a week ago, and they'd hashed the whole thing out. Maybe it didn't make any sense, but that fight had felt different to him. The look in her eyes was more pain-filled, her tone was more hurt, and nothing had felt like the other times. And when she walked out that door, he thought he'd never get to see her again.

Which was why the guilt was limited regarding that night with Cass. He'd believed, in the deepest depths of his heart, that any semblance of a chance with Victoire had been completely obliterated. Some people drank their pain away, or—as Elle often dealt with her heartache—searched for consolation in a bag of a industrial size bag of cookies or at the bottom of a gallon carton of ice cream.

He had decided to find relief from the pain by drowning it in someone else: namely, Cass.

The guilt from that night stemmed only from the fact that he hadn't told Victoire about it, but he realized that it was not an intelligent idea. It may not have been the best way to attempt to feel better, but it had been the only way in his mind at that moment. If he had stopped to think, even for a moment, it would have engulfed him, refusing to release him from its grasp.

Of course, this happened to him every time they broke up. He was a bloody moron and he knew it, but every time they broke up he let himself fall into this trap with Cass.

Aside from Cass and himself, Elle was the only one who knew about them, again contributing to the fact that Cyrus was quite possibly the biggest male gossip on the face of the planet and Joaquin didn't believe their admonitions regarding Cyrus's inability to keep a secret.

She always said nothing, whenever he confessed yet again that he'd made this same mistake again, feeling as embarrassed and guilty as if he were if a confessional with a priest.

He knew she presumed that he was starting to have feelings for Cass, which made it easier to ignore. He knew that Elle believed that any moment now, they would both burst out in song and dance and declare their love for one another. The fact was that the true truth and Elle's truth were light years apart. Cass was wonderful: smart, funny, individualistic. But there was nothing there. Yes, there was the uncanny physical attraction, but nothing more. And he knew there never would be.

So the true source of Teddy's guilt revolving around Cass? No, it wasn't what happened; because while he knew the circumstances didn't make it right, he believed that maybe it was just a little less wrong.

It was that he let it happen over and over and over.


	16. Reactions to Isabella: Part I

**Okay I feel rediculously bad about not updating in so long, but inspiration has been hard to come by. Anyway, it's here now, so let's all rejoice!**

**Oh and another interesting fact: the site finally came up with a setting that says that the main character is Teddy! Before they hadn't added Teddy since he was such a new character, but now they have him! Yay! Although it bugs me that they have Albus (Harry's Son) specifically differentiated from Albus Dumbledore, but not James Potter (the grandad) from James Potter (the grandson) or Lily Potter (the gramma) from Lily Potter (the granddaughter). Idk why, but that really bugs. What if you're looking for a fic with little James or little Lily, then you'll basically be bombarded with stories about their grandparents. **

**I'd like to thank the muses for this chapter (and the next one, which will serve as a part two because this chapter turned out way to long): **

**-Avril Lavigne and her song "One of Those Girls". Perfect description of the titular character of this chapter. :D**

**-Terra of Teen Titans. Long story short, I wanted to listen to "One of Those Girls" but I didn't own it so I looked it up on YouTube and this really great video by ninjakitty16 that was TerraXBeast Boy, which is my favorite pairing EVER. And I love Terra and wish more TT episodes would be made with her. **

**Lol. Weird, I know.**

**Alright, so here's your chappy!! Review or prepare for Santa to give you coal in your stocking. I'm serious, me and Santa are tight.**

**Happy reading.**

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**Chapter 15: **

**Reactions to Isabella, According to… **

**Part I**

Tuesday (Teddy): 

_Dear Teddy, _

_Guess who? I'm going to be in London for a couple weeks, and I get in next Tuesday. Let's grab a coffee together and catch up. Send Orion back with the when and where. _

_Iz _

Teddy was seated up at the counter of the island, his hands in his lap, his back slumped and his eyes fixed on that damn note.

After a few minutes, Orion hooted indignantly, ruffling and poofing up his feathers in impatience.

"Hold your hippogriffs there, mate," Teddy snapped testily. Orion clicked his beak in response. "Oh don't give me the menacing act, I helped hatch you in all your sticky, bald glory."

At that, his feathers immediately flattened and he retreated back a few small owl steps.

"That's right," Teddy mumbled, settling his eyes back on the letter.

He felt awkward and unsure and fifteen years old again. But then again, that was always the effect Isabella Delacroix had on him.

Isabella was Teddy's sole weakness. She had been his first real girlfriend, his first love, his first… lots of things.

They had formally met at the beginning of the third year, when they had been assigned each other's potions partner. After that, it would be two more years before they formally became a couple, but they had never really been just friends. There had always been more to them, and both of them had always known it.

There was just something about her. She was completely spellbinding and entrancing, and there was no one on the face of the planet that could wrap Teddy around her finger like she could; not only that, but she both _knew_ it and was perfectly capable of _exploiting_ it.

Which was why he couldn't decide whether to respond eagerly or to burn the note, release Orion, and change his address.

He glanced at Orion, who was beginning to look antsy again. Sighing, he grabbed another scrap of parchment and scribbled down, "Love to. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron next Wednesday at 9."

Tying it onto Orion's leg and releasing him out the window, he wondered just what he'd gotten himself into.

Wednesday (Ginny/Albus/Lily/James): 

"Hey GINNNNNNY!" Teddy announced, coming through the front door with a substantial bag under his arm. "I have lauuuuundry!"

"Oh joy," Ginny said in a less than enthusiastic tone as she walked into the foyer carrying—quite fortuitously—a laundry hamper. "Toss it in, I'll take care of it."

"I _love_ you, Ginny!" he joked fervently, dumping his dirty clothes into the hamper. "Marry me!"

"You might wanna take that up with your godfather, Ted," she said, carrying the hamper to the laundry room.

"Hey! Don't marry Mummy!"

Lily bounded down the stairs, her bright red hair fanning out behind her as she came down the stairs.

"Only joking, Lily-billy," he said, picking her up as she stood on the bottom step and spinning her around as she laughed and giggled.

"I like your blue hair, Teddy," she laughed as he set her down. "It's wicked."

"Why thank you," he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "And might I also commend you on your spectacular use of the word 'wicked.'" Lily smiled widely and they exchanged a high-five. "So how have you been?"

"Good." She smiled, but it quickly shifted into a pout. "I'm sad though."

"Why is that?" Teddy asked sympathetically, walking into the kitchen.

"Mummy says I can't go to Hogwarts in September," Lily pouted, following Teddy with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh Lil," Teddy said, sighing. "You're still too little."

"I wish people would stop telling me that," Lily said indignantly, sitting down at the kitchen table. "I'm _not_ little."

"Yes, you are," Teddy laughed, grabbing an iced drink from the refrigerator. "But who cares? Being little is much more fun than being big."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Wanna bet?" Teddy asked. "Guess who wants to have coffee with me?"

"Who?"

"Bella."

"Ooooo…" Lily cooed, her face lighting up and a mischievous grin on her face. "Teddy and Bella… sittin' in a tree… k-i-s—"

"No, none of that!" Teddy shushed her. "I don't wanna talk to Bella!"

"Why not?" she asked, not understanding him.

"Bella hurt me, Lil, remember?" he told her, taking a sip of his drink. "Why would I want to see her?"

"Because you love Bella."

That comment hit Teddy like ice cold water.

"Not anymore," Teddy said quietly, looking at the table. "Vic is my girlfriend, 'member?"

"Oh right," Lily said, as if she'd only just remembered. "Then you love Victoire, right?"

"Right."

Lily smiled in approval. Teddy knew she harbored many a fantasy of Victoire and him walking down the aisle.

"I still miss Bella though," Lily added.

"Yeah," Teddy said slowly. "I kinda do too."

At that moment, Albus and James came down the stairs.

"Hey Teddy," the two said in unison, coming and sitting at the table with them.

"Hey, you two," Teddy said, pulling their attention to him. "Should I go see Isabella?"

Both answering at precisely the next moment, Albus said, "Yes!" and James said, "No!"

Teddy wrinkled his eyebrow.

"What's with the split vote?" Teddy asked, glancing at the two.

"It's 'cos Al wants you to be with Isabella so you won't be tempted to steal Cass from him," James explained with all the tact of a five-year-old who'd consumed copious amounts of caffeine.

"James!" Albus responded indignantly, trying to look as though James was completely off the mark but being given away by the rush of bright red color to his cheeks.

"Oh come off it, Al, everyone already knows you're in love with Cass," James told him dismissively.

"Oh yeah?" Albus shot back, gaining a bit of confidence. "Well, Ted, the reason James doesn't want you to go see Isabella is because _he_ wants Isabella."

"Right, right, now both of you, stand down," Teddy declared before a wrestling match began. "I think you're both forgetting that I'm with Victoire. You don't have to worry about me being with Isabella or even Cass."

"But all you and Vic ever do is break up!" James proclaimed, that oh-so-well-timed tact of his. "How do you expect us to believe our women are off-limits when every other week you're single? You can't even call you and Vic a couple, really."

"Shut up, James, you _can_ too!" Lily snapped at her brother. "Vic and Teddy _are_ boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"Yeah, until the next time they break up…."

"Shut UP, JAMES!" Lily screamed, rising from her seat.

"Hey, hey, Lily," Teddy said, trying to calm Lily down. "Breathe for a second."

"But he—"

"It doesn't matter," Teddy said soothingly. "Now all of you," he said, rising from his seat, "I have to go thank your mother for doing my laundry, yet again. Don't kill each other in my absence."

Teddy left the room, ruffling Lily's hair on the way out.

"Thank you, Gin," Teddy said, smiling goofily.

"Oh, no worries," Ginny sighed, throwing the rest of the load in the machine. "You know what they say about a mother's work." She closed the washing machine door. "Anyway, how's everything going for you? You haven't been over much lately."

"The internship is killing me," Teddy sighed, leaning up against the doorframe. "Don't get me wrong, I love it, it's just eating up my life."

"Aka, it's cutting into time with Vic, right?"

"That of course, and the time I need to keep my sanity up. Aka, shower time, sleep time, eating time, ect."

"Well make sure you fit those in, Ted," Ginny instructed him, starting up the machine with a flick of her wand. "You'll regret it if you don't."

"Yeah…" Teddy said slowly.

As soon as Ginny had said the word 'regret', Teddy's mind immediately went to Isabella.

"Hey Gin?" Teddy started off shakily.

"Yeah?" she asked, an expectant smile on her face.

"I got a letter from Isabella."

The smile was immediately turned off, as if by a switch. It was not replaced by a frown, but by a look of moderate surprise.

"Oh." Ginny nodded, and indicated to Teddy with a small directional nod to follow her out of the room.

Once in Teddy's old room, they continued their discussion.

"What did she want?" Ginny asked calmly, quite successful in keeping the unpleasantness out of her tone and face as she leaned up against an empty patch of wall.

"She wants to get together for coffee," he responded, sitting on his old bed. "Ostensibly to catch up. I owled her back and said I would meet her this Wednesday at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Hm…" Ginny sighed, thinking.

He could tell that Ginny was trying with all her might not to make a snide remark or show any sign of maliciousness towards Isabella, and as deeply as Teddy appreciated the effort, it was clear that Ginny wanted nothing more than to tell Teddy to never contact her again and then track Isabella down—wherever she happened to be on the green earth—and rip out every last curly dark hair off her pretty little head while screaming at her to leave Teddy the hell alone.

"What are you thinking?" Teddy asked softly, wondering what would be her translation of her thoughts.

"I dunno…" she responded, sighing. "Are you sure you're over her completely?"

Teddy looked down at his hands as he responded.

"I have no clue. She's the amazing Iz, she does stuff to me, Gin. She's always been able to make me bend to her every whim." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm over her _now_, but what does that mean when she's actually around me, close enough to see and hear and touch and—" he broke off.

"…close enough to do something you might regret," Ginny finished with an air of finality about it as she nodded, understanding completely.

"So what do I do?" he asked, trying and failing to keep the miserable desperation out of his voice. Ginny sighed.

"I make it a rule as a mother not to ever tell James or Al or Lily what they should do in a difficult situation," she began, pushing herself off the wall. "However Ted, you're not my child." At that, Teddy broke eye contact and looked down at his hands. "No, Teddy, that doesn't mean you're not part of this family, because I doubt highly that there's another soul on this planet who belongs in this family more than you. I see you like my brother. And as such, I'm going to tell you what I think. Should you decide against my advice, I'll love you just the same." She sighed. "So what I think… is that you should send Samson to Isabella and tell her that you have to regretfully decline."

Teddy nodded.

"I don't know what good will come from you seeing her, to be honest," Ginny explained. "Despite what my feelings regarding her are, I don't think it would be good for you to allow her back into your life. I saw what happened last time she was in your life, and Isabella is not a bad person, but she was like a parasite to your life. She started out innocuously enough but before we knew it, she had pushed out Cyrus, Elle, Cass even. You're your own person, Ted, and you need someone who will be there for you without eclipsing everything else that's important in your life."

Teddy nodded again, this time with a little more oomph behind it.

"Okay," he said.

"And like I said, you don't have to take the advice," Ginny said with the utmost sincerity. "I only want what's best for you, Ted, but I'll love you even if you go."

"Right," Teddy said, feeling a bit dazed. He glanced at the clock. "I should go, I have to be at the hospital soon."

"Okay," Ginny said, nodding as Teddy grabbed a coat.

"I'll be back as soon as the shift is over and don't worry, you don't have to fold the clothes or anything, they'll just get unfolded as soon as I bring them back to the apartment."

"That's fine," Ginny laughed softly as Teddy went to his door. "Ted?"

"Hm?" he said, coming back into the doorway.

"Just think about what I said."

He looked at her a moment before responding.

"Of course."

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**Damn you Isabella! Damn you and your... Isabella-ness!**

**Enjoy. And PLEASE REVIEW!**

**mmb**


	17. Reactions to Isabella: Part II

**Okay this is gonna sound really random, but do you remember last chapter where I thanked Terra from Teen Titans for being one of my muses for last chapter, and also for this chapter because they are essentially the same chapter just in two parts? Well after reminiscing more about Teen Titans, I finally decided to message this ninjakitty16 asking if there were more Terra episodes in the series. She enlightened me by telling me there _was _one, the very last episode of the series. So, utilizing the wonder that is YouTube, I found the final episode and watched it. And guess what? It's SOOOOOOOOO depressing!!!!!!! It's seriously the most depressing thing I've ever seen EVER. I cried at the end. I mean, come on, you couldn't have had Terra remember Beast Boy? Would that have been so bad? Apparently it would have because she DOESN'T remember him and then decides she doesn't want to ever even SEE him again!!!! What the hell is that????**

**Anyway, if there are any Teen Titan lovers in my reader base, please message me or review this chapter with your reaction to the last episode! And if you don't like Teen Titans then just review the chapter like normal. :D**

**Btw, this chapter is SUPER long (eleven pages on microsoft word) to make up for all the really short, shrimpy chapters I've been doling out. Enjoy! And please review this time, I got a ridiculously pathetic total of 6 reviews for the last chapter. Step it up, people!!!!!!**

**Happy reading.**

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**Chapter 16: **

**Reactions to Isabella, According to… **

**Part II **

Thursday (Joaquin): 

"Hey Joaquin," Teddy called down the hall of St. Mungo's. "Catch up, mate!"

"Sorry, Healer Dannick was wearing a skirt, and _well_," he said with a devious smile.

"Is that _all_ you think about?" Teddy asked. "I mean, I'm a bloke too, but even food sometimes trumps the need for sex."

"Not for me," he declared. "I'd starve first."

"Point taken," Teddy chuckled. "So how's your patient doing?"

"Much better," Joaquin said brightly. "The infection is next to gone, and she and the baby will be able to leave tomorrow."

"Fantastic," Teddy said, pausing.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

They both laughed, as they'd both asked each other that at the same time.

"You go first," Teddy said graciously.

"Okay," Joaquin said slowly, looking as though he was contemplating his words very carefully. "What's the deal with Elena?"

Teddy crinkled his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'what's the deal'?" he asked, perplexed.

"Is she seeing anyone?"

Teddy sighed.

"Of course that's what this is about…" he said, picking up his patient's chart and leaving the reception desk.

"Oh come on, Teddy!" Joaquin begged, following Teddy down the hallway. "I haven't had a girlfriend in forever!"

"Yeah but you've had about a million women," Teddy said, sarcasm in his tone. "For starters, yes, Elle has a boyfriend. A serious boyfriend. One who can keep his dick in his pants around other women."

"Hey!" Joaquin responded indignantly. "I can be faithful."

"When you feel like it," Teddy scoffed. "Besides, Elle isn't your type."

"I don't have a type, mate."

"Sure you do," Teddy explained. "Twiggy, blonde and dizzy. Elle is none of that."

"I think I really like her though."

"What are we in, First Year?"

"Stop making fun of me, mate, this is serious! I don't think I've _ever_ really liked a girl before. I mean, liked them enough for a shag or two, but not like Elle. She's smart and amazing and she has this as—"

"Stop there," Teddy said. "Elle's like my sister and this conversation has me verging on vomit. Besides, there's not a lot you can do. She's really happy with her boyfriend."

"For now…"

"I swear, Joaquin, do anything to break it up and I'll personally kick your pretty boy ass," Teddy threatened.

"Calm down, I won't do anything," Joaquin sighed, as if to say that Teddy shouldn't be such a worry wart. "Anyway, what's up with you? What did you wanna talk to me about?"

"What? Oh," he started off uncertainly. "I, er… got a letter."

"Right, and where's the bad in that?" Joaquin asked.

"It was from Isabella," he said. Joaquin perked up immediately.

"Oh," he said, his eyebrows raised. "Oh. What, er… what did she want?"

"She wants to have coffee, catch up," he sighed. "What does that even mean?"

"That she wants to have coffee and catch up?"

"No, no, no, it's never _just_ coffee or _just_ catching up," he said indignantly. "There's always something behind it with Isabella."

"Then don't go," Joaquin said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"I haven't seen her in forever, though," Teddy said, reflecting on the situation. "It might be nice to catch up."

"Well, then go," Joaquin said, changing direction with Teddy's changing whims.

"No, I shouldn't," he re-decided. "I shouldn't. Right?" Joaquin was about to respond again when Teddy added, "Maybe I should. No wait—"

"For Merlin's sake, Teddy, you're driving me up a bloody wall!" Joaquin exclaimed, chuckling a little. "Decide whether or not you wanna go, and _do_ it!"

Teddy sighed.

"You make it sound so easy."

Friday (Victoire): 

"It's so nice out tonight," Victoire commented, the warm summer air rustling her hair in the prettiest way as she looked up at the stars. "I love it when it's like this. It's _so_ beautiful."

The two had just gone out to dinner and they were now taking a stroll through the park to enjoy the temperate weather.

"Yeah," Teddy said, not looking up at the stars but at the lovely, graceful creature he was fortunate enough to be sharing the evening with. "It is."

"Thanks again for taking me out," she said with a stunning smile. "Don't get me wrong, I love staying in, but sometimes it's nice to go out."

"I understand," he said, laughing a bit. "Oh Merlin, did you see that guy stumble out piss-drunk?"

"Yeah!" Vic responded, her melodious laugh tumbling out. "Did you see his napkin?"

"No, what happened with the napkin?!"

"It was zipped up in his zipper!" she laughed, cracking up. After her laughing fit, she sighed happily. "God, that was great."

"Damn, I can't believe I missed it…" Teddy laughed along with her. "Why didn't you point it out to me?"

"What was I supposed to say?" she asked, still giggling. "'Hey, Teddy, take a closer look at his crotch!' That wouldn't have gone over so well, would it?"

"Touché," Teddy said, again getting a bad mental association. "Speaking of not going over well…" he stopped, walking and fortuitously found a bench for the two to sit on, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Right then, shoot," she said, completely unfazed.

"Well, before I start, the reason I'm telling you this is not because it's a huge deal or anything," Teddy started off shakily. "In fact, it's really not anything significant at all. I just wanted to tell you so that you would be aware of it, because I don't like keeping things from you."

Guilt.

"Uh-huh," Victoire nodded, a little confused as to where he was going with this, but not seeming at all alarmed. "So what is it?"

"I, er…" he said oh so eloquently. "I… got a letter…"

"Sound the alarms," she said, still looking a bit confused but with more humor.

"… from Isabella," he finished. "She wanted to meet and catch up. I responded yes, and we're going for coffee on Wednesday."

At that, he fully expected Victoire's good-natured smile to slip off her face, and for another shouting match to start up.

However, her smile didn't even falter, but for the roll of her eyes.

"Oh Teddy," she said, "seriously, you don't have to get all shaky and sweaty over that."

"Really?" Teddy asked, clearly surprised.

"Of course!" she declared. "I don't particularly like Isabella, but it's not like I'm going to boss you around and tell you that you can't go. That's not the kind of girlfriend I like to be. Besides, I completely trust you." She smiled at him. "Go see her, catch up, and be merry. Just when she begs you to take her back, tell her to shove it where the sun don't shine."

Teddy couldn't help but laugh at that, especially since all the while, Victoire had been wearing that angelic smile of hers.

"Will do."

Saturday (Harry): 

"Thanks for helping, Harry," Teddy said apologetically, picking up a disgusting piece of hard, molding pizza and tossing it in his massive trash bag. "I would've asked Gin, but she would've died from the stench."

"No problem," Harry said, being a good sport about the whole situation. "Ech," he said, discovering a two-month-old sock under the sofa. "Is this yours or Joaquin's?"

Teddy squinted at it.

"Er…."

"You know," Harry said, examining it with a look of repulsion. "I really don't think it makes a difference anymore. Even if we washed it, it would probably still be disgusting."

At that, Harry threw the sock in the bag.

Harry had graciously agreed to help Teddy do a massive cleaning job by hand, because the spell only ever worked up to a certain point. Teddy—despite being a compulsive neat-freak—had been so busy with his internship that he hadn't been keeping up the apartment like he should've. It also didn't help that Joaquin was quite possibly the world's hugest slob and could mess up a place in a matter of hours.

"What is Joaquin going to do when he gets married?" Harry asked, finding a pair of boxers under the coffee table. "Or better yet, who's gonna marry him when he's such a slob?"

"He's convinced he's gonna end up with Elle," Teddy explained. "And I think at least a part of that unconditional love is that Elle loves to clean."

"Ah," Harry laughed.

Teddy paused for a moment, wondering if it would be a good idea to ask Harry his opinion too.

"Harry?" He decided he needed another opinion.

"Yeah, Ted?"

"I got a letter from Isabella." At that Harry looked right at him. "She wants to get coffee and catch up. As of now, I'm supposed to meet her on Wednesday."

"Hm," Harry said, setting down his trash bag and sitting down on the couch. "Do you want to see her?"

"No," Teddy said emphatically, responding immediately. He sighed. "Yes." He shrugged. "I dunno. Ginny told me not to see her. Vic told me to see her. James told me not to, Albus told me to, Lily told me to, and Joaquin basically told me to do whatever I wanted. I don't know who to listen to."

"So basically you're asking me to tell you what to do," Harry clarified. Teddy nodded. "Alright, just making sure. Well, to be honest, I really don't know what the right answer is."

"Oh, c'mon!" Teddy sighed indignantly. "Even Ginny picked a side and I never thought I'd see that!"

"Ginny picked a side because she believes that not seeing Isabella would be more beneficial to you," Harry explained calmly. "As for me, I don't know which side would be more beneficial to you, so to advise you either way would be unfair to you."

"Just a guess?" Teddy asked desperately.

"Well, look," Harry said in a reasoning sort of voice. "If you go, you can truly find out if you're over Isabella. And beyond that you can reestablish a relationship with your first love, who was incidentally one of your best friends. However, what could also happen is that you discover that you still love Isabella and then potentially fall back into everything that happened the first time you were together.

"So I guess what you have to decide is…" Harry considered his words very carefully, "… is whether you're content without knowing for sure if you still love her. If you are, then don't go. Sometimes it's better to just leave the past where it belongs. If you aren't content not knowing, then you should go. Because either way—good or bad—you'll know."

Teddy nodded, taking it in.

"Thanks, Harry," Teddy said, taking up his trash bag again. "Now let's finish this before Joaquin gets back from his shift."

Sunday (Gram): 

"More tea, Teddy?"

"Sure, Lil."

"More tea, Mr. Bear?"

No response.

"Teddy, will you pour some tea for Mr. Bear?"

"I would be tickled."

Teddy had come over to (finally) pick up his laundry and had found that Gram had already begun to fold them, despite his insistence that he could do it himself. Gram had shooed him off and Lily had recruited him to participate in her tea party, but not before forcing him to wear the proper head gear (aka, a large, pink, foofy hat).

"Teddy, would you care for a tart?" Lily asked, extending a plate of strawberry tarts to Teddy in a most gracious and ladylike manner.

"Actually, I must regretfully decline," Teddy said, acting equally mannerly. His declining of the tart was based primarily on the fact that Teddy was fully aware that Harry—not Ginny—had baked those tarts, and the only person who liked Harry's tarts was Lily and Mr. Bear, although Mr. Bear had a significant advantage, as he didn't possess any taste buds. Or vocal cords, for that matter. "I must be going, Lady Lily."

"Right, then say a proper goodbye to Mr. Bear," Lily said very aristocratically.

Teddy took Mr. Bear's hand and shook it firmly.

"It was a pleasure to have tea with you, Mr. Bear," Teddy said, taking off his foofy hat and adding a pause afterward, as if Mr. Bear were responding. "Ah well, we'll have to do this again some time, won't we, Lily?"

"Of course," she responded, smiling as she hugged him goodbye. "Bye, Teddy."

"Bye, Lily-billy."

He exited Lily's room with a bow to rival a house elf as Lily responded with a very ladylike curtsy, and then proceeded to Gram's room across the hall.

"Gram, again, you didn't have to fold it," Teddy told her, carefully placing the folded garments in a laundry basket.

"I know, but I like folding them," she said, smoothing out one of his t-shirts. "Besides, you're a mess at folding, just like your mother. She'd just shove the clothes in the drawer and be done with them."

Gram smiled reminiscently. Teddy knew it still hurt for her—just as it did for him—but she'd reached the point where the memories were sweeter than they were bitter.

"So," Gram said, looking up at Teddy from her folding. "Ginny tells me that you've heard from Isabella?"

"Yeah…" Teddy said slowly, setting a pair of folded trousers in the basket. "She sent me a letter."

"What did she say?" Gram said, her face lighting up a bit. Unlike Ginny, Gram and Iz had clicked immediately.

"She said she wanted to catch up, get coffee, you know," Teddy said.

"Hm…." Gram said, her smile even evident in her tone. "So are you going to see her?"

"I said I would," he told her, sounding unsure. "But I dunno if I should. I was pretty broken up last time. Why would I want to see her after that?"

"Because she was your first love," Gram said with a serene smile. At that, Teddy's brown eyes darted up to meet Gram's green ones.

"Ginny says she was like a parasite," Teddy said, looking back down at his clothes again. "And I think she was right."

"I don't think it was _necessarily_ Isabella's fault," she responded tentatively.

"What, it was my fault?"

"Now, now, Ted, I'm not saying it's anyone's fault," she sighed, folding some socks. "I'm saying that your first love is overwhelming. Terrifying even. It consumes all of you, all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind. Because it's your first. And you don't understand it, or know what to expect. You forget the life you have outside of this person." She paused. "Just because it ended, and badly, doesn't mean that it was your fault or her fault. It was just too much."

She paused again, gathering her words.

"And also, even though she hurt you," Gram continued, "you want to see her because she was your first love, and no matter what, no matter what she's done and no matter who you're with, a piece of yourself will always belong to her."

"That's a pretty depressing thought, Gram," Teddy sighed.

"Why would that be?" she asked, surprised.

"Because it means that I'll always be hung up on her, even when she inevitably leaves," Teddy explained, sounding downtrodden. "Because she _will_ leave, Gram. It's what Isabella does."

"Ted, I don't mean that you'll always be 'hung up' on her," Gram clarified in a comforting tone. "I mean that there are simply some people you never get over, no matter how you try. And it's because when you love someone like that, you give them everything. It's not as if you give them half and keep the rest for yourself. When you really love someone, you give them _all_ of you, and when they love you, they give you all of them, to even it all out. And when it ends—because it always does, whether it was because it wasn't a love that was built to last or because you're separated by time and space—you take back as much of yourself as you can." Gram paused, finishing folding one final shirt just as Teddy was hanging on her every word. "But you can't take it all back, because some of it just doesn't fit in you anymore. Some of it doesn't fit with the person you are afterwards. So they keep a piece of you with them. Isabella will always have a piece of you, and I believe you will always have a piece of Isabella.

"My point—at the bottom of all my senile ranting—is that no, you probably aren't still in love with Isabella, if I had to guess," she explained with a cheery grin. "But she is and will always be a part of you. So if or when you go to see her, and you feel something, don't be immediately alarmed. You will always feel something for her. But think about it, Ted," she said, looking him in the eye very seriously. "If Isabella were to come to our door right this very moment and beg for you to take her back, would you?"

Teddy thought about it for a moment, very carefully.

"No," he said, the realization coming to him at that very moment. "No, I wouldn't."

"And you're being honest with yourself?" Gram asked. "Don't lie for my sake."

"No, I'm serious Gram," Teddy said, shock over this revelation spreading slowly. "I didn't think it would be that easy to decide, but no. I really wouldn't."

"Well then I say go see her," Gram said cheerily. "Now, don't muss these up, I folded them quite nicely."

"Yes, ma'am," Teddy chuckled, giving Gram a kiss on the cheek as he left the room.

Monday (Cyrus): 

"Sweet Merlin," Cyrus gasped in shock, looking around at the remarkably clean apartment. "What, did you buy a new apartment?"

"Pretty nice, eh?" Teddy noted with a smile. "Me and Harry spent all Saturday cleaning it up."

"Damn," Cyrus admired, taking it in in full 360 mode. "My dad would never help me clean up me and Elle's apartment."

"That's because it's _never_ dirty," Teddy said, sitting down at one of the glistening stools that surrounded the island. "Elle might as well be a cleaning monster."

"True," Cyrus admitted with a shrug. "Still, this looks really great. Well done, mate."

"Thanks," Teddy said, going to the refrigerator for a cold drink. "You thirsty?"

"Nah," Cyrus said, still looking around. His eyes caught a scrap of folded paper laying on the counter. He walked over and snatched it.

"What's this?" he asked, opening it and reading it.

"What's what?" Teddy asked, turning his attention away from picking a drink and towards Cyrus. Immediately recognizing the paper in Cyrus's hands, he jumped.

"Shit, Cyrus!" Teddy yelped, bolting over to Cyrus and trying to wrest the Isabella's letter from his hands. "Ever heard of a little thing called privacy?"

"Nope," he said, finishing the letter. "Oh my god, Teddy! You're gonna see Iz?"

"I dunno, I guess…" Teddy sighed. "Maybe."

"Oh c'mon, mate," Cyrus begged, "share some details."

"Yeah right!" Teddy shot back. "Cy, you can't keep a secret to save your life."

"I promise I'll keep this one, whatever it is," Cyrus pleaded.

"Or what?" Teddy dared him.

"Or I'll turn camp," Cyrus said, his face as serious as could be.

"Camp?" Teddy replied, shock evident in his features.

"As a row of pink tents," Cyrus said, just as solemn as before.

"You wouldn't…"

"I will if I betray this secret."

Teddy weighed his options. On the one hand, Cyrus never kept secrets, at least not well in any sense of the word. But on the other hand, Cyrus would never lay his love of women on the line if he wasn't serious.

Teddy decided to trust him. At least if he broke the promise, he would be able to satisfy himself with the hilarious yet slightly awkward sight of Cyrus hitting on other men.

"Fine," he sighed. "Iz sent me a letter."

"Really?" Cyrus said sarcastically. "I hadn't gathered that from the _letter I just read_—"

"She wants to get coffee and catch up," Teddy cut him off. "I responded and said I'd meet her on Wednesday at the Leaky Cauldron."

"And you didn't invite _me_!"

"Cyrus!"

"I don't get what the big deal is," Cyrus sighed, looking disappointed. "That totally wasn't worth betting my heterosexuality on."

"Should I even go see her?" Teddy asked. Cyrus glanced at him, and suddenly understood.

"She's just a girl, Teddy."

"Cy," he laughed, "she's never been just a girl."

"That's the thing," Cyrus said quietly. "You always put her on a pedestal. Don't get me wrong, until the very end there, Iz was really awesome, but she was only ever a girl." Cyrus shrugged. "The way I see it, the only power she has over you is the power you let her have.

"So basically," Cyrus finished, evidently changing his mind about wanting a drink and getting one for himself, "it comes down to this." He sat down next to Teddy at the island.

"Are you gonna let her?"

Tuesday (Elle) 

(Cass?): 

"Kissheranddie, kissheranddie, kissheranddie, kissheranddie, kissheranddie—YOU STUPID BASTARD!" Elle shouted at the telly, sighing heavily in disgust.

The three of them—Cass, Elle and Teddy—were enjoying a movie at Cass's house. As Cass's mother had been both Muggleborn and an avid television lover, Cass had in turn become the latter as well and infected Elle with the 'tellybug'. The two girls had declared Tuesdays their movie night, and since Victoire was off having a night with _her _friends, Cyrus was on "the prowl" (Cyrus's own words), and Joaquin was working a late shift, he was stuck watching a chick flick with Cass and Elle.

Elle's admonitions and subsequent shouts of disgust had followed a prelude where the two of the main characters (each other's exes) had come dangerously close to kissing and then proceeded to do so.

"Stupid idiot…" Cass agreed, shaking her head as she devoured the last forkful of her ridiculously amazing yellow cake with fudge frosting that was on her plate. Cass always made a baked good for movie night. "She's just gonna leave him for that other guy." Cass looked down at her plate when she realized that no cake was getting on her fork, and noticed that she had eaten it all. She paused the movie. "I'm gonna get more cake. Elle, Ted, you want any?"

"More for me!" they both said, handing Cass their plates. Cass laughed and took the dishes to the kitchen.

"Damn it, Elijah!" Cass shouted from the doorway of the kitchen before storming up the stairs. "You can't take the damn cake up in your room!"

"We'll be waiting for a while," Elle sighed with a chuckle, snuggling into the couch more.

"Hey Elle?" Teddy asked, figuring he had informed the rest of the world and one more opinion couldn't hurt.

"Yeah?" she asked with a yawn.

"Isabella sent me a letter saying that she was gonna be in London and that she wanted to see me," Teddy spilled out. "To catch up, she said."

"Ah," Elle said, with that wise look on her face. "You want my two sense on this right?"

"Pretty much," he answered.

"I'll make it short and sweet since we don't know when Cass is coming back down stairs, and if she so much as hear us say 'Iz' she'll throw a conniption," Elle stated very matter-of-factly. "I don't think you should go. Isabella is just plain bad news. Even if you're completely over her and don't get back together with her, she'll mooch off you as a friend and I don't think she'll ever leave you alone while you're in a relationship."

"Wow," Teddy said. He was surprised someone was actually capable of giving their opinion on this that quickly. "Thanks."

"No problem," she responded with a serene smile.

---

"Ech…" Cass groaned, plopping down on the couch after Elle had left. "I ate too much cake…"

"Ha, that's what you get," Teddy chuckling. "Eight pieces of cake don't equal a happy stomach."

"Can you make me a stomach potion?" she asked. "Please…?"

"Fine, oh pitiful one," Teddy said, grabbing a small cauldron from the cupboard and throwing in the correct ingredients. "You're lucky I'm so nice."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Cass said, rubbing her stomach.

They remained in silence for a few minutes while the potion brewed and Teddy prepared himself to tell Cass about Isabella. He had always planned to tell her, but now that the moment—the very last possible moment—was upon him, he dreaded it. Just the name was enough to send Cass into a frenzy. And she almost certainly would tell him that she thought he shouldn't go.

But Cass was the one person on the planet he absolutely couldn't lie to. Or more accurately, she was the person he hated lying to the most.

"Potion for the barfy lady," he said, offering her a vial of the potion.

"Oh, cheers," she said, downing it all in one gulp. After about ten seconds a smile snuck onto her face and she fell back into the couch back. "Ah…."

"Better?" Teddy asked, sitting down beside her.

"Much," she sighed, setting the vial down on the coffee table and relaxing. "Why aren't you barfy?"

"I have an extremely high tolerance for sugar," he explained. "I once ate three cakes in a single hour and didn't even have a stomach ache."

"You're a machine. I swear."

Teddy laughed.

He glanced at her, his mouth poised to tell her about Isabella.

Only the words wouldn't come out.

"You okay, Ted?" she asked concernedly.

He fought to find words, to string them all together correctly…

"Yeah, never better," he said, hiding his disappointment at himself to perfection. "Never better…" He sighed. "I should get home, I have an early shift in the morning."

"Kay," Cass said, heaving a yawn. "I'm going to bed too. Owl me, maybe we can catch lunch tomorrow or something."

"Alright," Teddy said, knowing at that moment he wouldn't be sending Samson to her tomorrow. Thursday, he told himself, Thursday he would owl her.

"Night," he said, giving her a hug.

"Night," she said happily.

As he walked out he wondered why he had lied to her. And then, just as he was going to Apparate back to the apartment, he realized why.

It was the same reason he was lying to Victoire: because he believed the lie would hurt them less than the truth.

Wednesday (again): 

_Hey Teddy, _

_Just wanted to check in and make sure we were still meeting today. 9 am for coffee at the Leaky Cauldron, right? _

_Let me know ASAP. _

_Iz _

Teddy sighed, again not sure if he would regret it.

_Iz, _

_That's the time and place. See you in a couple hours. _

_Teddy _

_

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**OOOOO... what's he getting himself into?**

**Well we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?**

**REVIEW.**

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	18. The Isabella Effect

**Okay, one final author's note that has to do with Teen Titans: if there are any TT fans that did not speak up last time (which would mean that I actually _have_ fans who like TT), I am planning to make a TT two shot, post series finale. One will be a 'after the series finale' and the other will be an alternate ending. So, if you're interested and I'm not on your author alert, it may be prudent to add me. **

**Alright, as to this chapter, it is another LONG one. Not as long as the last one (which was 11 pages) but this one is 8 pages and still quite beefy imo. So I really hope you enjoy it, and for the love of god, REVIEW! All I've been hearing in the reviews that I actually _have_ gotten is that everyone's really enjoying the chapters and that they're glad I'm updating more regularly. But I'm getting only seven reviews a chapter?! What the hell is that? **

**Personally I'd like to call out Crimson Coureges, because she hasn't reviewed in forever and NEEDS to inform me of how obnoxious she thinks Cass is! And on and impersonal note, if you want me to continue updating so regularly, then I suggest you review. Or else I may revert to one of my other stories, where I will probably get more of a response. **

**Happy reading.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: **

**The Isabella Effect **

"How about this one?"

"Eh."

"Right then, this one?"

"Eh."

"This one?"

"Eh."

"Elle, for Merlin's sake! What am I supposed to do, go naked?"

"Oh, I'm sure Isabella wouldn't mind…"

Teddy sighed and retreated back into his closet. He had just sent his note to Isabella and had contacted Elle by witch's glass to help him get dressed, because—as Elle had informed him—he was an "inept, narcissistic baby who can't even dress himself".

And—as Elle was making _very _clear—she was not taking Ginny's stance of loving Teddy either way on the Isabella issue.

"Elle, I know you're not thrilled with me over this, but can't you just support me anyway?"

"What, are you having a baby?" she asked coldly, not looking up from the glossy pages of the magazine she was perusing.

"Excuse me," Teddy said, shooting her a glare, "but what does that have to do with _anything_?"

"It's a time when you'd _really_ need some support, _Teddy_," she shot back, giving him her very own glare. "But you didn't take my advice, so you clearly don't _need_ my support."

"Then why'd you even show up?" Teddy asked, trying to decide between a red t-shirt or a black one.

"To torment you, of course."

"Ah," Teddy said, intending to let her continue to stew while he simply threw together an outfit. Elle had different plans.

"Well, think for a second, Teddy," Elle said indignantly as she tossed the magazine aside, which hit the wall with a papery crunch before falling to the floor. "You ask me for my damned opinion and then basically flip me the middle finger and say, 'You know, it turns out I really don't care what the bloody hell your opinion is, because I'm gonna go and do whatever I what anyway!' Don't you get that that upsets me?"

"I _do_ get it, and it's not like I didn't value your opinion, Elle," he explained, ignoring the shirt issue for a moment and coming back into his room.

"Oh, really?" she said sarcastically. "Then why didn't you think I might have some idea what I'm talking about? And Merlin, Teddy, have you even thought about what Cass is gonna say when she finds out you when to see her?"

"She's not gonna find out," Teddy said very resolutely.

"Oh, shut up," Elle shot back dismissively. "She's like a damned mother, you can't keep anything from her. She'll know, Teddy."

"Not if you keep your mouth shut," Teddy said warningly. "And Elle, I respect your opinion, I just…"

"… feel the need to screw up your entire settled life because of a girl who left you?" Elle asked tactlessly.

"I can't just leave it," he explained to her. "If I don't go, I'm always gonna wonder what would've happened if I had. I can't live like that, Elle."

Elle sighed.

"Fine!" she conceded, jumping off the bed and grabbing her coat. "Wear something casual, like jeans and a t-shirt."

She pulled on her coat went to the door. But, doubling back, she added:

"And for the love of Merlin, don't let Isabella reel you in again."

--

Teddy had never noticed before that when you were touching the door to the Leaky Cauldron, Muggles actually couldn't see you. He had also never realized that the 'u' on the Leaky Cauldron sign was missing. Or that you could actually spell 'cauldron' without the 'u' and still have it look correct. He also never realized that there was so many god-forsaken book shops/coffeehouses on this street. Books he could understand, but how many damned coffee shops did the world need? Apparently, every last person on the face of the planet was addicted to caffeine.

These were only some of the thoughts flitting through Teddy's head as he stood before the door to the Leaky Cauldron, finding every way possible to stall.

He was being silly, he told himself. This was Isabella—Iz—his first love—the girl who, for a time, had been the sole person who could make him feel completely at ease, who knew his thoughts before he could explain them.

But the fact was… she wasn't that person any more. He was most comfortable with Cass. He loved Victoire more than anyone else. The person who knew what he was thinking the quickest was Elle.

He was a different person now. And so was she.

Thing would not be the same after he entered.

If was as if in parting, Teddy's life had fallen back into place. His and Cass's feud had ended, he had mended bridges with Elle and Cyrus. It was as if the two of them being together had caused a rift in the universe, a vast cosmic rupture, and while they were together nothing but their relationship was right. All other aspects of Teddy's life were in a state of constant turmoil, an unending uproar of chaos. And—at the time—it had seemed so dangerous and romantic, like a drug that got you hooked on the highs and lows.

But he had known it couldn't have continued like that. It was a whirlwind, a torrent, a fleeting moment of blinding light, and Teddy knew that it could never exist forever.

So when Isabella got accepted to a special internship at Gringotts Paris at the start of sixth year—as difficult as it was—Teddy had let her break things up and leave for Paris.

Sometimes there were moments in the middle of the night when Teddy thanked his lucky stars that Isabella had gotten that internship. Yes, he had loved Isabella, and she had loved him. They given each other the kind of love Gram had been talking about; he had given her all of him, and she had taken it, giving him all she had in return. But the fact was that both of them had taken more than they were allowed to. Teddy had eaten up her life outside their relationship, and Isabella had eaten up his. That wasn't healthy. Yes, they were supposed to the center of the universe in your heart, but they weren't supposed to _be_ the universe.

He had loved her, and her departure had broken his heart. But in the process, he'd gotten his life back. He'd reclaimed his friends, won back the respect of his family, and taken back his sanity.

Standing there, he knew that all he had taken back could be lost.

But he had to go in.

He pulled the handle and entered.

As he walked in, his body immediately tensed up. He was acutely aware of all of his slightest movements… his hands felt shaky and sweaty, his heart felt like it was in his throat, his legs were refusing to maneuver properly, and he just plain felt like a prat, strolling around the inside of the bar at nine AM, looking for his ex.

Teddy found it highly peculiar that he was nearly fifteen minutes late yet Isabella—who was always ten minutes early _everywhere_—was no where to be found. At first he thought that he simply overlooked her, but that wasn't the case; there was only one woman in the bar, and she had bright copper hair beneath her chocolate brown fedora—as opposed to Isabella's dark, almost black, brown hair. It also didn't help his nerves that the girl at the counter—with the coppery hair—kept glancing at him, and although Teddy did not dare look at her directly, he was keenly aware that they were pity glances, as if to mean, "Oh poor thing… can't even find the person he was supposed to meet…"

Suddenly the girl spun around in her barstool.

"Oi, Lupin!" called an all-too-familiar voice. "Wha? You forgot me?"

Teddy could recognize that heavy Cockney accent anywhere.

"Iz?" Teddy said incomplete and utter shock, sitting down in the stool next to Isabella. "What _have_ you done to your hair?"

"Like it?" she asked, hamming it up a bit by twirling a picture perfect curl around her finger like one of those dizzy girly girls. "I dyed it a couple months ago on a whim and I loved it so much that I decided to keep it that way."

"Love it," Teddy insisted, instantly falling into his Iz persona.

"Thought you would," she said, mellowing out to her normal serene level. "I got you coffee, since you decided to grace me with your presence nearly _twenty minutes late_."

"Sorry bout that," he said, laughing it off. "I was running kind late."

"It's fine, I just enjoy giving you a hard time," she chuckled. "So. How you been, Teddy?"

"Good," he said, grinning. "Everything's been great."

"So you're happy?" she asked sincerely, smiling the Iz smile. It was unlike anyone else's he'd ever met, so relaxed yet so warm.

"I am," he said, smiling back. "Although I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything," she responded, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Why did you ask me here?"

Her eyes immediately darted up to meet his, and she set down her coffee.

"I, er…" she mumbled, fiddling with her necklace. She emitted a nervous giggle. "I had something written out, but of course I left it in my hotel room…"

"Just wing it," Teddy said calmly, though his heart was hammering against his ribcage and was threatening to burst through from nerves. If Isabella was about to make a plea to get back together, he was going to permanently regret coming here.

"I… wanted to apologize," she said very slowly. Teddy felt a bit lightheaded.

"For?" he managed to say without letting on about his nerves.

"How things ended," she explained conciliatorily, looking down at her hands. "It wasn't fair to spring it on you and then run off to Paris. I just…" she sighed, "I knew if I told you I was leaving early, we'd start saying this big, proper goodbye. And if that was the case, I knew I wouldn't be able to leave." She looked at Teddy. "And I had to go. Because while we were together, nothing else existed. And that wasn't good. We needed more than just each other and neither of us could give it to each other."

She let out another nervous giggle.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't supposed to get all deep and philosophical," she laughed. "I just wanted to apologize and ask if we could be friends again."

"Really?" Teddy asked, cool, tingling relief spreading throughout his body.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "Unless you'd rather we didn't and I can just disappear into obscurity…"

"No, I actually think that's a good idea," he assured her. "We can be friends."

She smiled.

"Good," she responded. "So, how are the kiddies?"

"They're good," Teddy said. "Lily wanted me to say hi."

"Aw…" Isabella sighed, smiling happily. "Tell her I say hi back. I love that child. She's doing well, I presume?"

"Of course," Teddy said emphatically, taking a sip of his coffee. "She's ultra impatient to go to Hogwarts."

"I bet she is," she smiled. One thing that Teddy had always loved about Isabella was how much she loved Lily, Albus and James. "She's a smart girl, Lily."

"Oh, and James wanted me to declare his love for you," Teddy said, sounding jokingly offhand.

"Ah, I see," she laughed. "He's a lady-killer, that James. He'll find an Isabella his own age."

"Oh, there's no doubt in my mind," he chuckled. "So how's the internship going?"

"Actually, my internship ended a year ago," she said, a proud smile on her face. "They bumped me up to actual job status."

"That's fantastic," he congratulated her, smiling enthusiastically. "So you're a full-fledged Curse Breaker?"

"Yup," she said modestly, grinning in spite of herself. "Although I'm actually in London to interview for a slightly higher paying job at Gringotts London."

"Really?" he asked, intrigued. "Moving up in the world, aren't we?"

"We sure are." She grinned widely. "Viviana loves Paris though, she might just stay behind if I move back here."

"Did she move there with you?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah, she transferred to Beauxbatons, and stayed with me during the summer," she explained. "Basically anything to get away from Mum and Dad."

"How are they?" he asked.

"Same as always," Isabella sighed. "Mum keeps telling me to enroll in a gym and Dad keeps insisting that I'm wasting my life in serving the establishment."

"I'm sorry," Teddy said. He was fully aware that Isabella had a rocky relationship with her parents.

"Don't be," she insisted. "They love me, they just aren't particularly good at showing it." She took a sip of her coffee. "Oh, I wanted to ask, did you actually go into Healing?"

"Actually, yes," he admitted, grinning as he thought of Joaquin and St. Mungo's. "I'm an intern at St. Mungo's."

"Ah, very nice," Isabella said with a coy smile. "I bet you have to beat the ladies back with a stick."

"Actually," he started off, not sure what Isabella's reaction would be, "having a girlfriend tends to keep the adoring masses back."

"Oh, a _girlfriend_, eh?" Isabella said playfully. Teddy relaxed a bit yet again. "Hm…"

"What's the 'hm' for?" Teddy asked curiously.

"I bet I know who she is," Isabella said, raising an eyebrow. "Unless I don't know her…"

"Oh you do," he assured her. "Can you guess who she is though…?"

"Oh come off it," she laughed. "Just tell me."

"Victoire," Teddy said, smiling like an idiot. "Victoire is my girlfriend."

"Oh," she said, looking surprised. "That's great."

"What?" he asked, a little put off by the feeling she was giving off. "I thought you liked Victoire."

"Oh, that's not it at all," Isabella backtracked immediately, looking extremely embarrassed that she had given him the impression that she was displeased with him and Victoire. "I think Victoire is charming and very pleasant. I just didn't guess it would be her."

"You didn't?" he asked. "Who did you think it would be?"

"Cass, of course," she said, as though it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Cass?"

"Yes, Cass," Isabella repeated emphatically. "You had a million adoring fans, but I only ever felt threatened by Cass. I figured you two would've at least given it a swing by now."

"Well…" he said uncertainly, "we _technically_ did…"

"You _technically_ did?" she repeated incredulously. "What does that mean?"

"It means we… tried it out…" Teddy muttered, stumbling over his words.

"You tried _what_ out?" she asked, clearly unwilling to drop the issue before she extracted some concrete details. "Dating? Or sex?"

Sweet Merlin.

"Er…"

"That means the latter," she sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. "So, what? You both got drunk and had a one night stand, but promised to stay friends after?"

"Well, no…"

"Then what is it?" she implored of him.

"We're… there when we need each other…"

Teddy had no idea what had possessed him to repeat that, but the moment the words left his lips he knew they were a blaring mistake.

"You're _what_?" she asked, stunned by his response. When Teddy didn't reply, she added, "So basically you're fuck buddies?"

"Do you have to call it that?" Teddy said quietly, visibly shrinking, embarrassed by the badly connoted word.

"What would you prefer me to call it? Friends with benefits? It's the same bloody thing, Teddy!"

"No, it's not!" Teddy shot back, not quite shouting so he wouldn't inform the whole—granted, mostly empty—bar of their conversation. "Cass actually _is_ my friend! My best friend! And she's not my bloody fuck buddy, because she's not some cheap tart! She's smart and funny and classy and don't try to make her out to be otherwise!"

"Teddy I never said anything of the sort," she insisted. "But I've always know that you've had feelings for Cass, and you're just copping out by allowing this friends with benefits thing to go on! If this is the case, then even if you aren't physically cheating on Victoire, she's certainly not the only woman on your mind."

"So what, I'm just supposed to go to Cass and say, 'hey, we have good sex, let's start a relationship and potentially ruin our friendship!' That's not how it works, Iz! I love Vic, and while I love Cass, it isn't that way! I'm fine with the way things are!"

"But this isn't you!" Isabella insisted. "Friends with benefits? This isn't the Teddy Lupin I know!"

"What do you even know about me anymore?" he spat. "You've been gone for three years and you haven't contacted me once before last week! Maybe you haven't bothered to notice, but I've changed, Iz!"

"Maybe so," Isabella countered, "but I refuse to believe the Teddy Lupin I knew is so far gone that he would have a girlfriend, but with a FWB for 'whenever you needed each other'!"

"What makes you think I wasn't like that when you knew me?"

No sooner had Teddy finished that sentence before he regretted it. Isabella looked like she'd been literally slapped across the face, the pain and the insult so deeply engrained in her features. He'd meant none of it; it was all just something you say, something you blurt out to come back with. He hadn't even stopped to think, to realize that it might actually hurt her…

"This was a mistake," Isabella muttered, fishing a few Sickles out of her purse and setting them on the counter for her coffee. Her hands were shaking, and although Teddy couldn't see her eyes, he knew she was about ready to cry. "Sorry to bother you."

"Isabella, wait—" he began as she stepped off her barstool.

She brushed him off and walked out of the bar. He slammed a few Sickles down on the counter and took off out the door after her.

"Iz!" he shouted into the crowd. "Isabella!"

But she was gone.

--

"Damn, you look like hell."

Teddy had walked back to his flat as he needed to play back the events of that morning in his mind, and who should be there when he got back than Cass?

"Where have you been?" she asked, oddly enough doing dishes for him and Joaquin.

"Out." He sat down at the island and buried his face in his hands.

"Oh thanks for the details," she remarked wryly, setting a clean plate in the strainer.

Teddy sighed. He hadn't told her before, but the gnawing guilt was more than he cared to deal with.

"I went to have coffee with Isabella."

The dish Cass was towel drying slipped from her hand and shattered as it hit the floor.

"You WHAT!" she shouted, entirely ignoring the dish.

"You don't need to tell me it was a bad idea, I already now," Teddy sighed, looking highly downtrodden.

Cass visibly softened looking at Teddy's crumpled demeanor.

"What happened?" she asked, carefully avoiding the pieces of broken ceramic as she came around the island and sat next to Teddy.

"I made a comment that was really below the belt and she walked out," he mumbled.

"Ouch," Cass said, wincing a bit out of sympathy. "And here I thought she would be the bitch in that meeting."

"Yeah, well, she started it," Teddy said, rather maturely.

"Oh really?" Cass responded bemusedly.

"Yes, really," he replied. "She said that we were meant to be."

"Bitch!" Cass declared indignantly, slamming her fist down on the counter. "I can't believe she has the audacity to come back in here and try and put you and her back together! I oughta track her down and pluck every last perfectly-coifed curl off her furry head one by one!"

"No, Cass," Teddy attempted to correct her, "not her and me; _you_ and me."

_"What?"_ Cass said, her tone very clearly saying "What is she thinking?"

"I know," Teddy sighed, shrugging.

"She's been enjoying a spot too much French wine, if you ask me," Cass said, almost chuckling at the thought. "Although it seems like there's a lot of that going around. Have you gotten the feeling that Elle seems hell bent on us declaring our love for each other? And same for Ginny?"

"I think I'd have to be missing all my senses not to notice," he said.

"It's funny how people get things set in their head like this," she said, reflecting on the situation. "It's like, they pick someone for you, and until you get together—if you ever get together—they'll never give you a moment's peace."

"Don't I know it," Teddy laughed.

"They'll get over it," Cass sighed. "Although I admit, it's a fine line to tred, keeping friend and more in their place."

"And we've admittedly pushed the limits there already," he said, chuckling a bit.

"Yeah, sex in a restaurant tends to do that," she admitted, thinking back. "And on a hay loft. And in a St. Mungo's supply closet. And on your couch. And—"

"I got it," Teddy laughed. "I remember as well, you know."

"Yeah," she said. "The point is that they're completely bonkers. We have pushed the lines, but we've never crossed it."

"Exactly," Teddy agreed. "So, you doing anything tonight? I have to work this afternoon but I could really use a good, stiff drink with a friend tonight."

"I wish I could," she said, going into the kitchen and magically cleaning up the shards of broken ceramic on the floor. "I actually have a date."

"Ah, ugly guy goes for a second swing?" he teased.

"Ha ha, very funny," she laughed sarcastically. "No, it's a different guy."

"Is he ugly?"

"Shut UP, Ted!" she said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably because she was half laughing. "He's not ugly this time!"

"Fine, fine, I believe you," he said, chuckling a bit. "Enjoy yourself."

"Are you okay to go with Cyrus?" she asked.

"'Course," Teddy assured her.

"Great," she said, smiling. "So I'll see you later, right?"

"Yeah," Teddy said, carefully covering his frown with a smile. "Later."

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	19. Confessions

**Hey people! Merry Christmas! **

**I was super bored after the Christmas rush ended, so I decided to give you all a belated present! Enjoy!**

**And if you don't enjoy this chapter, you'll definitely enjoy the next one...**

**Happy Reading.**

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* * *

**Chapter 18: **

**Confessions **

Confession #1: 

"Damn!"

Teddy shook his hand furiously, waving it in a desperate attempt to ease the burning sensation. He had just turned on the oven, but he hadn't banked on the oven racks heating up so quickly. So basically when he'd attempted to move one of them without oven mitts, he'd—like an idiot—burnt himself.

"Ahhh," Teddy said in relief, running his hand under cool water in the sink.

"You okay?"

He turned to the entryway, and found Victoire standing there, in a pair of skinny jeans and a jacket.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said uncertainly, wiping his hand on a dish towel. He glanced at his watch. "Er… I thought we were having dinner at five."

"We were," Victoire responded, a monotone in her voice. She looked very tired. "But I needed to talk to you."

"Alright," Teddy said worriedly, coming around the island towards her. He set a hand on her upper arm as a way to offer a bit of comfort. "What's the matter, Love?"

"Teddy…" she said softly, sounding like tears were very near, though he couldn't see because her head was down. She looked up at him, and there were indeed tears in her eyes. "Please don't hate me?"

"Vic, I could never hate you," he said softly, his concern and worry mounting with every second. "Please, just tell me."

She shook her head a bit and took a deep breath, as though steeling herself to do something she didn't want to do, but that she knew she must.

"I'm breaking up with you."

If Teddy hadn't been taking the situation seriously before, he was now.

"Wha… what?" Teddy sputtered, completely shocked. He took a couple steps back from Victoire. "You're not serious…"

"Teddy, please," she pleaded, trying to step toward him only to have him back away. "Please, I'm sorry…"

"Then don't break up with me!" Teddy pleaded imploringly. "If you're sorry, then don't do this!"

"I _have_ to, Teddy!" she explained desperately, running a hand through her platinum blonde hair. "Don't you see?"

"No, I really don't!" Teddy responded. This was all strange to him… neither of them were shouting at each other, just raising their voices, and not in anger, but in desperation… none of this made any sense. "What is so wrong with us together?"

"Because!" she shouted, frustrated. "You've been sleeping with Cass!"

Teddy said nothing. What was there to say to that?

He opened his mouth to deny it, but closed it immediately. No more lies.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I'm so sorry…"

"It doesn't matter," she sighed.

"What do you mean, 'it doesn't matter'?" Teddy asked her incredulously. "You're breaking up with me because of it!"

"No, you want to know why I'm breaking up with you?" she shot back, for the first time looking truly angry. "Because you fucking _lied_ about it! You told me you loved me, but every time we were apart for a week or so, you jumped into bed with Cass, and then you acted like it _never happened_! If you had told me that you had made a mistake, and you were sorry, and it meant nothing, I probably would've believed you and I probably would've trusted you again!"

She sniffed, and wiped her eyes carefully. Teddy could tell she didn't want to appear as though she had been crying when she left here.

"Would you really have trusted me again?" Teddy asked quietly. "If I had told you, that is."

"Well, we'll never know for sure, will we?" she said, shrugging her shoulders. "But I would've tried. Really, _really_, tried. But you lied. And by doing so, you proved that it actually had meant something."

"What do you mean?"

"You and Cass," she explained, sighing. "You could've just told me if it hadn't meant anything. But it did. And that's why I can't be with you."

"Why?" he shot back desperately. He didn't understand any of what she was saying or what she was trying to get at.

"Merlin, Teddy, wake up and smell the coffee!" she shouted at him, her royal blue eyes wide and brimming with tears. "You're in love with Cass! The whole damned world seems to know it besides you and her! That's why you couldn't tell me! That's why you lied! That's why we're here! Because you're in love with _her_, and not me! And that's not something we can fix!"

"Vic—"

"No!" she screamed, outraged that he was trying to deny it. "Just stop! This really is over, Teddy! It's over!"

She heaved a sob and shook her head. There didn't seem to be anything left for her to say. Except this.

"Goodbye, Teddy."

She turned around, walked to the door, and left.

Confessions #2: 

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"That's all she said?"

"That's all she said."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Right, you're going to have to stop that."

"Sorry."

Teddy and Cass were eating Chinese on the couch in her above-garage apartment, drowning his sorrows in a takeout box full of beef and broccoli with fried rice as Cass listened on with a box of mandarin chicken and chow mein.

"Damn," she sighed, picking up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks. "That kinda blows."

"Yeah, I guess," Teddy said, having a difficult time trying to eat rice with chopsticks. "I don't really know what to feel about it, to be honest. I dunno if that's 'cos I'm just numb to the whole thing or if…"

"Or if what?" she asked with a mouthful of chow mein.

"Or if maybe it really wasn't right with us," he finished, feeling the words click in his mind. "I mean, all we did was break up. I'm not saying Vic isn't a good person or that I'm not sad that it's over, but our relationship was clearly not right in some way, or we wouldn't be here, with Vic accusing us of being in love with each other."

"That's true," she said, raising her eyebrows in a look of agreement. "Maybe you two just weren't right for each other."

"Yeah, that's probably it," Teddy said, still feeling a bit sad about it all being over, but his outlook for the future brighter. "Hey I forgot to ask, how'd your date go the other night."

She snorted.

"It was a bust," she sighed, searching for her chicken underneath the noodles.

"I thought you said he wasn't ugly this time," he laughed.

"Oh, he was attractive," Cass assured him, widening her eyes emphatically. "Merlin, was he…"

"Then what happened?"

"That was _all _he was," she said simply, smiling in an 'oh well' sort of way. "He didn't have a job, he didn't have any ambitions to _have _a job, and he probably didn't have the ability to _obtain _one. In fact the only real ambition he had was a rather ardent one to get into my pants."

"Did'ja let him?" Teddy asked with a mouthful of beef and broccoli.

"Nah," she said, shaking her head. "He was bugging the shit out of me. Besides, I'm not a big tart like you are."

"Hey! Not nice!" he responded mock-indignantly. "I haven't slept with that many women…"

"Oh contraire," she declared, resituating herself with her legs crossed. She set down her takeout box to free up her hands in order to count off the girls on her fingers. "Isabella, although she almost counts for like three women because of all the damned sex the two of you had. Then there was the rebound girls: Anabel, Emma, Lauren, and Charlotte. And THEN," she said, preparing for the pies de résistance, "Anna Sinclair, who then turned into a Grade-A cling on…"

"Don't remind me," Teddy said, scratching the back of his head with embarrassment.

"…then me, of course," she said, entirely ignoring his previous comment. "And Vic." She counted it up. "Eleven, including all the Isabella stuff."

"Make that ten," he said sheepishly.

"Oh, Ted, there's really no denying that you slept with Anna," Cass laughed, picking up her food again. "She sang that song to you reminiscing about it, remember?"

"No, not Anna," he muttered, preparing to tell Cass. "Vic."

"Vic?"

"Vic."

_"Vic?" _

"Okay, now you're doing it."

"Sorry," she mumbled, leaning back into the couch as she let the shock wash over her. "Wow. You really didn't? You guys were together for like… almost a year."

"But we weren't together for longer than two continuous months," he explained. "I don't think that made it very appealing for her to give it up."

"It's really funny how little we know about each other's sex life, considering how much we know about _everything_ else," she reflected.

"That's true…"

"Ha, I just thought up a really fantastic nickname for you," Cass told him, chuckling. "The Virgin Whisperer."

"Oh, c'mon!" he laughed, slapping her on the arm limply as she cracked up. "I'm not that bad…"

"You are, Virgin Whisperer," she said, smiling fiendishly. "Isabella was a virgin, all the rebound girls… well, Anna _clearly _wasn't a virgin, but—"

"Okay, I get it," Teddy said with an air of finality. "Although Isabella doesn't count, not since I was a virgin too." Teddy thought back to that night. "God, that was a bad night…"

"Oooo, awkward first time?" Cass said, eagerly awaiting the story. Teddy suspected Cass wanted to hear one memory of Isabella where she wasn't "so damned perfect all the damned time."

"Well, Iz had told me she wanted to… you know," he said, recounting the story, "at breakfast that morning. And so all day, I was freaking out. I accidentally Transfigured the table instead of the mouse we were supposed to making a plate, and I think I spilled—"

"—potion on me!" she finished for him, apparently remembering the day as well. "Merlin, do you know how long it took for my skin to stop oozing after you spilt that on me! And all because you were gonna get laid! Another reason to hate Isabella…" she smiled, letting Teddy know she was only kidding.

"Anyway, it was in the Room of Requirement," he continued. "And apparently something went really terribly wrong when I was walking in front of it. I walked in and there were a bunch of bunny rabbits everywhere."

"Bunny rabbits?" Cass asked incredulously, chuckling. "How did that happen?"

"A really funny thing happens when I'm thinking about something dirty," he said, scratching the back of his head embarrassedly. "My mind actually flashes to someone who would be ashamed of me if they knew what I was thinking. Usually it's Gram I think of. That time it happened to be—"

"—Lily!" Cass finished for him, following her exclamation with a long melodious laugh. "That is the most hilarious thing I've ever heard. And the most embarrassing."

"You only have to hear about it, I actually had to live it," Teddy said, laughing. He set down his empty takeout box, enjoying the fullness in his stomach. "Then once I fixed the room problem, Isabella showed up and I was so bloody nervous I thought I would pass out. Then basically it got worse from there. Once we actually got into the bedroom I started shaking and sweating like mad and… it was just plain bad."

"Does that mean you couldn't keep a lid on things until you were actually doing it?" she said with a completely straight face.

"Thanks a lot!" Teddy yelped, laughing.

"That means yes," she chuckled. "So Ted Lupin wasn't always the sex god that stands before me."

"Yeah, well it certainly didn't help that she was wearing one of those… lacy black things…" Teddy said, gesturing indistinctly at his torso. "With the hooks and lace-up back… I dunno what it's called but it's like this top that smushed up her boobs and then connected to stockings at the bottom…"

"It's called a merrywidow, Ted," Cass laughed, setting down her nearly empty takeout box.

"A merrywidow?" Teddy repeated with confusion. "How do you know that?"

"Because, Ted Lupin," she said matter-of-factly, "I am a woman, despite the prevalent belief that I have a vagina but that's about where the womanly aspects stop." She laughed. "And furthermore, I own one, and I make it a point to know the proper names of the things I own."

"You own one?" Teddy said, immediately having one of those aforementioned dirty thought moments. A mental image of Ginny wagging her index finger at him popped into his head.

"I do indeed," she smiled. "Shocking, isn't it?"

"A bit," he said softly, his idiotic horndog self eyeing her lips with a wolfish hunger. "A good shocked though…"

His lips on hers felt incredible, like an electric shock and a light-as-air feather, simultaneously intense and striking and desperately hot _and_ soft and delectable and perfect all together. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging entrance that was immediately granted. His arm snaked around her pulling her small body towards his, and she ran her fingertips through his hair, leaving streaks of heat in their wake.

Teddy found himself fighting for air as the swelling feeling in his chest that he always associated with Cass continued to grow and grow until he nearly couldn't breathe at all.

"Ted, stop," she whispered, pushing him away. "If this is gonna be guilt sex, then I really don't want any part of this."

"I won't do anything if you don't want to," Teddy backtracked immediately, becoming insecure due to Cass's reaction.

"Oh, it's not for lack of desire, because the last time I had decent sex was nearly a month ago," she said. "I just am bloody tired of being your guilt sex partner."

"It's not guilt sex," he assured her. "Vic and I are done. For good. Are we clear? Or shall I say it in French?"

"Fine," she said, sounding begrudging although her smile did not seem to concur. "So we're just back to the fun, meaningless sex?"

"That's about the size of it," he said.

"Thank god," she breathed, capturing his lips with a small chuckle.

Confession #3: 

"Teddy?" Elle said, coming out of her room at hers and Cyrus's apartment. She was holding two skirt/blazer combos. "Which one says 'I know I'm pretty, but that doesn't mean I'm a brainless tart'?"

"Hm," Teddy sighed thoughtfully, a discerning look on his face. "I think we might have to pull out a habit for that."

"UGH!" she groaned, storming back into her room. She was trying to find a decent outfit for her interview with the medical research company. "A pantsuit, then?"

"Better," Teddy said, following her. "Hey Elle, guess what?"

"What?" she said, only half paying attention as she mostly focused on picking a pantsuit.

"Vic dumped me."

"What?!" she shrieked, dropping the suit and whirling around in shock. "You're joking!"

"Nope, I'm not," he said, sitting down on her bed. Elle kept looking at him, as if at any moment he'd have an emotional breakdown and start declaring that Vic had broken his heart so badly he was wishing he was gay. "Seriously Elle, it's over. And I'm kind of okay with it."

"That means you slept with Cass…" Elle sighed, picking up her suit and going to the bathroom to change.

"Elle, why is that such a problem?" Teddy sighed, talking to her through the bathroom door. "We're just friends. People are capable of having meaningless sex, you know."

"Sure," she said slowly.

"We're still as good of friends as we've always been," he told her. "We've pushed the lines but we've never crossed them."

"Sounds oddly verbatim."

"It's not," Teddy insisted indignantly. "That's all it is: sex."

"Oh god," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she came out in the pinstripe slacks and a button-down shirt with her hair pulled into a low ponytail. She had always been freakishly quick at changing clothes. "Say it like you mean it, why don't you…"

"Bloody hell," Teddy shot back indignantly. "What is it with you and trying to get me and Cass together? Is it that absurd that two friends can have sex and still be just that?"

"Actually it is!" Elle shouted at him, throwing all ninety pounds of herself behind her shout. She looked completely enraged, like she was about to say something that had been bothering her for a long time but she'd kept it to herself. "I hadn't bothered you about the rebound girls at Hogwarts, or about Cass, but sex _can't _be meaningless! Sure, maybe you don't get any feelings out of it, but _someone_ does!"

"So what are you saying, that Cass is secretly pining over me?" Teddy suggested with a tone that clearly said he thought that was the dumbest idea ever conjured up.

"I'm saying that carrying on like this is asking for trouble!" Elle yelled at him. "Maybe, just _maybe_, there's nothing going on right now! Maybe! But honestly, is this going to be like this forever?! Before very long, one of you is going to realize that this isn't _just_ sex! And what are you going to do then, hm?! Can your friendship survive that?!"

"I think so!" Teddy shot back, although he hadn't considered that possibility at all.

"Fine!" Elle screamed. She grabbed her jacket and her purse and on her way out, she shouted with all the contempt she could muster for this comment, "Lock up when you leave!"

Teddy sighed loudly and fell backwards onto Elle's bed. He was beyond tired of hearing her negativity on this subject. Elle was simply seeing something that wasn't there. There was just friendship with him and Cass. Nothing more.

Teddy crinkled his eyebrow.

Or was there?

Confession #4: 

"Damn," Cass sighed, chuckling as she basked in the moment. "That was… I dunno… insert adjective here."

"Awesome," Teddy said, turning his head to look at her. "Unbelievable. Life-altering."

"Right, that last one might be a bit excessive," she laughed, gathering up her clothes off the bathroom floor.

"Speaking of life-alerting," Teddy asked, pulling on his boxers. "I shared about my first time last time we hung out; it's your turn now."

"Oh," Cass said, in the process of hooking her bra. She looked quite taken aback by his suggestion. "It's not that great a story…"

"Oh c'mon," Teddy urged her as she pulled on her shirt and jeans. "Seriously, share. I don't care if it's not that interesting. I just don't even know when you lost it, it was probably when we weren't talking during fifth year, right?"

"Um… no," she said uncertainly, stepping into her flip flops. "Besides, I have to meet with one of the advertisers in…" she checked her watch, "half an hour."

"Oh bullocks," he sighed dismissively. "The _Prophet _can wait. Just give me the short version."

She stood in the doorway and sighed, clicking her nails against the doorframe, as if she were trying to decide whether or not she should say.

"My first time…" she began, beginning what would be a two sentence story, "was on a hay loft. With my best friend."

If she had remained in the doorway longer, she would have seen Teddy's shocked face. She would have seen him lean up against the bathroom wall and run a hand through his hair as he realized that, like Elle had said, this wasn't completely meaningless. She would've seen him punch the tile, cracking about three.

But she didn't. She had already apparated away.

Confessions #5 and #6: 

"Harry?" Teddy called, walking into the house. "Harry?"

"Teddy!" Lily called happily, hopping down the stairs. "I'm starting a tea party, wanna play?"

"Not now, Lily-Billy," he responded, meeting her halfway up the stairs. "Where's your dad?"

"In the office," Lily said. "Are you sure you don't wanna join?"

"I'm sure," Teddy assured her, patting her on the top of the head. "I'll play tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," she said, scurrying back upstairs as Teddy went downstairs to the office.

"Harry?" he asked, coming in the office.

"Yeah, Ted?" he asked, sitting at his desk.

"I need to talk," he sighed, settling down in the chair opposite Harry.

"Oh?" Harry responded, setting down the papers on the desktop. "What about?"

"Cass," Teddy admitted, running a hand through his blue hair. "I thought this was all fun. I thought it was just a game, and then all of a sudden everything is different."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked calmly.

"I told Elle that me and Vic had broken up," Teddy explained frantically. "And then I told her that Cass and I were sleeping together regularly again. She exploded—'cos Elle tends to do that—and she said that sooner or later, one of us would have feelings for each other. Then I was talking to Cass and well, that day last summer when we did it and then Ginny interrogated me, it turns out that it was her first time. Ever. Which could mean absolutely nothing, or it could mean everything. It could mean that Cass is in love with me but is keeping it from me. Or it could mean that _I_ am in love with her, but for some reason don't know it or don't want to admit it."

"Ted…" Harry said, trying to calm him down.

"I wish Mum and Dad were here," he blurted out before he could stop himself. Harry sighed.

"I…" Harry started off after a few moments, only to lapse into silence again. "I have memories saved of them. I wanted to wait until you really needed them to show you, because I knew you'd appreciate it more if that's how I did it."

"You have memories?" Teddy asked, standing up immediately. "Show me! Where are they?"

"Calm down, Ted," Harry said, going to the glass case and pulling a vile from behind a picture frame and at the same time pulling his pensieve from the case an planting it on the top of his desk. He uncorked the vile and poured the contents in the pensieve, swirling them a bit with the tip of his wand. "You'll see."

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**OOOOOOO... guess which of our favorite werewolf/metamorph couples will star in the next chapter? **

**Please review! Give me a little Christmas present too!**

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	20. Memories of You

Here's the Tonks/Lupin chapter!!! Who's excited?! (Raises hand) Anyone?! Anyone?!

Alright so here's the deal: most of the memories are set during "Deathly Hallows" and one of the scenes are straight out of the book, so the dialogue is the same, but the nondialogue (for lack of a better word) is all mine. Except for one single sentence: "He spoke with a finality bordering on indifference." JKR said that WAY too well to change it. So yeah.

Oh and I have some VERY VERY VERY big news... I have decided... TO MAKE A SEQUEL! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yaaaaaaaay! Oh and btw, I've also planned out the rest of the story and after this chapter, there's only seven more chapters. Let the countdown begin!

Enjoy.

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**Chapter 19: **

**Memories of You **

_Sew this up with threads of reason and regret _

_So I will not forget, I will not forget _

_How this felt so very long ago _

_I cannot forget, I cannot forget _

Teddy was suddenly falling through pitch black darkness. He could feel no wind on his face or through his hair; in fact, except for the weightless feeling in his stomach, he would not have known he was falling at all.

Then—in a rush of light and color—the world rematerialized around him. He was in a dingy, stale-smelling old house that had a distinctly forlorn feeling about it. He appeared to be standing in the kitchen, judging by the cobweb-spangled countertops and cabinets.

"Everything is fine."

Teddy whirled around. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all sitting on one side of a long dining table. They were all young—even younger than himself. Harry's hair was longer, more unkempt—if possible—and all of them bore a noticeably disheveled appearance.

There was a man sitting opposite the three, with Teddy's nose and jaw…

"This was when the three of us were all on the run," Harry said, appearing beside him. Teddy nodded. "We were at Grimmauld Place with Remus. He asked me if he could come and help us find the Horcruxes."

"What, what?" Teddy asked, confused. "Why—"

"Shhh," Harry said, looking at the table. "Listen."

His father was the one who had spoken before, apparently snapping at Hermione, who was turning an embarrassed shade of pink. Realizing what he had said, he sighed.

"Tonks is going to have a baby."

The lack of excitement in that statement hit Teddy like a slap across the face. He felt something open in the pit of his chest, something like a vast nothingness.

Meanwhile, all three congratulated him.

"So… do you accept my offer?" Remus said, clearly keen to stay away from the subject of Teddy's prenatal existence.

The young Harry paused, waiting a second to take everything in.

"Just—just to be clear," Harry started, his brow crinkled at Remus. "You want to leave Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?"

"She'll be perfectly safe there." Teddy was struck by his tone. He spoke with a finality bordering on indifference. "Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you."

"Well, I'm not," Harry said, still looking as though he wasn't understanding the situation fully. "I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."

Teddy could feel the tension in the room rise instantly. Both Ron and Hermione looked as though they would've liked nothing better than to disappear on the spot.

"You don't understand," Remus said desperately.

"Explain, then," Harry said, not quite angry yet, but dancing on the very fine line.

With one final anxious glance at Harry, Remus continued.

"I—I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and I have regretted it very much ever since."

"Harry—" Teddy whispered, glancing at Harry.

"Just listen."

"I see," the younger Harry said, with a bite in his voice, "so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?"

Making Teddy jump, Remus flew to his feet, his chair tumbling to the ground with a clatter, the look on his face frantic and full of rage.

"Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her and outcast! You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the Wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage, what parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And the child—the child—"

Teddy was transfixed; the whole scene was too much, too much to see… his father was pulling at his own hair, seemingly feeling the same thing.

"My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it—how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"

Teddy tuned out much of the rest. The words of his father kept replaying in his mind, _It will be better off without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!_

What did that mean about him?

Teddy was brought back to the situation at a loud _bang_. He immediately jolted himself back into reality, watching his father storm out and Harry pick himself off the kitchen floor.

"You shouldn't have said that stuff to Lupin," Ron told Harry after a few moments.

"He had it coming to him," Harry said, still a bit dazed. "Parents shouldn't leave their kids unless—unless they've got to."

"Harry—" Teddy said again.

"Not now," the older Harry said, shaking his head. "There's more."

_I'm falling into memories of you _

_The things we used to do _

_Follow me there, a beautiful somewhere _

_A place that I can share with you _

The scene dissolved around the two of them, then reassembled in a rush of color and light. They were in a house, one that looked vaguely familiar to Teddy, as if he'd lived there in a former life. By looking out the window, Teddy could tell it was early evening.

"Just listen to me, Dora!"

"Why on earth would I wanna do that?! It's not as if you extend me the same courtesy!"

Teddy whirled around, spotting the scene unfolding before him. There was a small, lean woman with a head of fiery scarlet hair and eyes just like his, and man with his build and his face.

"Mum…" Teddy whispered.

"I'm no _good_ for you!" Remus shouted back at her, that same desperation evident in his eyes that had been there when he'd spoken to Harry. "Truth be told, I'm really no good to anyone, but especially not you and not this…" His voice trailed off, his eyes fixed the beginnings of her pregnant belly.

"Baby," she finished for him, her voice softer but her expression still fully capable of melting a plethora of extremely strong materials. She placed a hand on her still-small yet distinctly rounded belly.

"Don't you see what I've done to you?" he said softly, his voice almost breaking as he spoke. "You barely speak to your parents, your friends have abandoned you, you're a social pariah and it's all because of me! I can't be who you want me to be, who _I_ want me to be! I can't provide for you, or protect you or any of the things I'm supposed to! I'm a danger to you, and to the …"

"For Merlin's sake, Remus, it's a baby!" Dora shouted, firing up all over again. "Stop acting like this isn't happening! It's coming! Whether or not _you_," she pointed a menacing finger at him," want it or whether or not _I'm_," she pointed at her self, tearing welling up in her eyes, "terrified! Don't you think I'm scared! I'm having a baby, and for all intents and purposes, I am completely _alone_!"

"You're better off that way…" he muttered.

With a sudden upsurge in the blinding redness of her hair, she slapped him cleanly across the face.

"Don't _ever_ say that," she said slowly, her voice a deadly rumble. "There is _nothing_ wrong with you except the fear you have of yourself. You are so much more than you allow yourself credit for." She sighed. "But the truth is that I'm so tired, so bloody tired of trying to make you see that I want you here and that's why you should stay." She took a step back. "So go. If that's what you want, then go."

"You know it's not what I want…"

"Do I?"

"Dora, don't be like this."

"Then STAY!" she shouted. "Don't leave! Don't you get it?! I don't care about all the rest! I care about you! I care about the baby, and our family! None of the rest seems to matter very much when I think of what I will lose if you give up on our family, Remus!"

Teddy had never seen two people locked in a more intense gaze, ever. For a minute or longer, they simply stood there, glaring each other down.

"Alright," Remus whispered, barely making a sound. Dora's eyes widened a bit.

"Really?" she asked, daring to let only the smallest grin creep onto her face.

"Yes," he said, smiling shakily, as if he were afraid the source of his happiness might disappear any moment.

Without warning, she leaped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and shouting in excitement.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, planting soft, quick kisses all over his face.

"Harry—"

"Shush, kid, I'll explain later."

_I can tell that you won't know me anymore _

_It's easy to forget, sometimes we just forget _

_And being on this road is anything but sure _

_Maybe we'll forget, I hope we don't forget _

In another flash, the scene had rearranged itself, so that it appeared he was in the same house, but a decent amount of time later.

Teddy heard a high-pitched scream come from a room down the hall. He ran down the hallway, a sense of urgency hanging in the air.

"SON OF A BITCH!" a loud scream came from the room directly to Teddy's left. Teddy made to open the door, but he realized that he could simply walk through it instead.

No sooner had he gotten fully through the door than did he hear another earsplitting scream.

"I hate you!" Dora screamed, her hands gripping the railing on the clearly out-of-place hospital bed. Her eyes were locked in an evil gaze at Remus. "How come you get the easy part?!"

"Because I'm not properly equipped," Remus said, staying calm enough for the both of them as he smiled serenely.

Dora let out a sigh of relief as the contraction clearly passed.

"I hate you," she sighed, almost laughing as she reclined in the cushy angled back of the hospital bed. "You know that, right?"

"I know," Remus said, brushing her messy pink hair out of her face. "You've told me about three time per contraction, Love."

"How's she doing?" Gram said, bursting into the room looking rather frazzled.

"She's fine, Mum," Dora said, sighing at her mother's nerves. Suddenly she pulled in another deep breath and her face constricted as though drawn up by a drawstring. She emitted another squeaky scream.

"Harry!" Teddy said, alarmed and disturbed at the same time. "I don't want to actually watch Mum have me!"

"Fine," Harry sighed, a smile furtive smile on his face. Suddenly a flash of bright white—or perhaps it was very, very dark, Teddy wasn't entirely sure—erupted before Teddy's eyes and the scene reemerged an instant later, far more serene and calm than before.

The first thing that caught Teddy's eye was something very bright, very yellow, he realized after squinting a bit. After a bit more squinting, he realized that the bright yellow what emanating from the little patch of peach-fuzz hair on a bundle in his Mum's arms…

"Whoa," the adult Teddy said in shock. "This is erie…"

"Attention span, Ted," Harry whispered, nudging him.

Teddy refocused on the baby version of himself, with Mum's arms around him reassuringly and Dad's arms around both of them.

"Well now I'm disappointed," Dora said jokingly, her voice barely a whisper so she wouldn't startle the baby. "I can't even see any me in him."

"Oh really?" Remus chuckled softly, as baby Teddy's hair changed from the bright yellow to a deep green. "I suppose he got the green hair from me, then?"

"You know what I mean," she sighed, smiling a grin that simply glowed. "He has your nose and your face. What has he got that's mine?"

"His eyes are just like yours," Remus said, tracing lines around baby Teddy's eyes.

"Are they now?" she asked quietly, taking a closer look. "Merlin's beard, he does." She smiled.

"What do we name him?" Remus asked, baby Teddy latched onto the tip of his index finger.

"Sirius, perhaps?" Dora said, smiling expectantly.

"Nah," Remus sighed, shaking his head. "Sirius hated his name. Said he was named after a grandfather who was an ardent follower of Grindelwald."

"Oh, well," Dora chuckled, "no Sirius." She looked at the baby, considering names in her head. "What about… Ted?"

"Ted," Remus repeated, looking at the baby. "Ted Lupin." He smiled. "I like it."

"Me too," she said, grinning at Remus. "Me too." She brushed a lock of purple hair out of baby Teddy's face. "So, how about you go to Shell Cottage and tell everyone about Ted?"

"Are you sure?" he asked tentatively. "I can stay if you need me."

"Please," she said dismissively, "I'm fine. Go spread the good news."

Remus nodded, planting a kiss on her forehead and one on baby Teddy's head, and then went to the door.

"Oh and Remus?" she said just as he was about to exit. "Ask Harry to be his godfather, won't you?"

Remus smiled and nodded, going out the door again.

_So many nights… _

_Wrap me up in a dream with you _

_Close up these eyes, try not to cry _

_All that I've got to pull me through is memories of you _

Teddy didn't even bother to ask this time. He just stood there, ready to soak in the last memory.

In a final rush of light and color, the scene reappeared before him, one he instantly recognized as Harry and Ginny's room. Harry and Ginny were seated on the foot of their bed, Harry hunched over with his head in his hands and Ginny comforting him.

"Harry…" Ginny said softly, gently patting his back. Taking a closer look, Teddy realized that this was when they were at least ten years younger—if not more—than they were currently. "You can't let yourself dwell on this…"

"He asked me why he didn't get parents like Victoire," Harry said, his voice muffled in his hands. He pulled his hands away from his face. "I couldn't answer him. I didn't know what to say. Me, the kid who never had parents. _I_ couldn't tell him why Victoire got parents and he didn't."

"That's because there's not a reason, Harry," Ginny insisted. "There's not a reason that Vic got Bill and Fleur, and Teddy doesn't get Tonks and Lupin. There's not a reason I got my Mum and Dad and you didn't get yours. It just happens. It's not your fault they're gone. I don't blame you, Andromeda doesn't blame you, and most importantly, Teddy doesn't blame you. You did what you had to do, and they died protecting you. If they had to go, this was the way."

"Dammit, they didn't want to go!" Harry said, standing up. "They didn't want to leave their son! Especially not with me, who has more emotional baggage than any other person alive! What kind of godfather am I anyway? Completely bloody terrible, as far as I'm concerned!"

"Harry, stop!" Ginny shot back, putting her hands on his shoulders. "This isn't going to be easy; in fact, it'll probably be really hard! But Teddy is okay! He's sad, yes, but so are all of us! And Harry, you are a fantastic godfather! Don't believe for a second you're not! Teddy _loves_ you! And you are so good with him! Tonks and Lupin couldn't have picked a better person to be Teddy's godfather."

Harry just stood there for a few moments, trying to decide if Ginny was telling him the truth.

"Okay," he sighed, nodding.

Then, with impeccable timing, a little boy with Teddy's hair and eyes and face burst into the room.

"Harry, I brushed my teeth!" Teddy's younger self announced proudly, wearing blue flannel pajamas.

"Good job, Ted," Harry congratulated him, mussing his hair.

"C'mon Harry," little Teddy urged him, pulling on his hand. "You said you'd read me a bedtime story!"

"Oh, Ted," Ginny said, standing. "How 'bout I read the story to you?"

"Nah, Gin, it's fine," Harry said, giving into his pulling. "I promised him I'd do it."

"Okay," she agreed, smiling encouragingly.

"Can we read The Tales of Beetle the Bard again?" Teddy asked, hopping into his bed.

"Actually," Harry said, kneeling at the side of Teddy's bed, "I was thinking that maybe I could tell you a real story."

"Really?" Teddy asked eagerly. Older Teddy suddenly remembered this night as a smile took his face. "What's it about?"

"Well, before I start, I wanted to apologize for not answering you earlier," Harry said.

"'Bout what?" Teddy asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"When you asked why Vic gets a Mummy and Daddy and you don't," Harry explained.

"Oh," Teddy said, quieting instantly and looking at his hands, something the older Teddy noticed he still often did. "It's 'cos they died, isn't it?"

"It is," Harry said, nodding solemnly. "You know, Ted, I didn't have a Mummy or a Daddy either."

"You didn't?" Teddy asked, almost alarmed. "Why not?"

Harry took a breath, thinking through his words very carefully.

"I…" Harry started off, "…have no idea, Ted." The two looked each other in the eye very intensely. "I know it sometimes seems like little kids such as yourself know so little and grownups know everything, but the truth is that we only know more. I don't know why bad things happen to people, Teddy. I know that they _do_, but why is anybody's guess. But one thing I do know," Harry said, lifting Teddy's chin to make sure they were looking each other in the eye, "is that it is _not _your fault."

Little Teddy said nothing, only looking down at his hands.

"I used to think that it was my fault," Harry said slowly. "I used to think that I must've done something that caused their death. Or failed to stop something that _would've _saved them. But the truth is that everyone dies. And very few people are lucky enough to die when it is opportune to do so. I realized that even though my parents died when I was a baby, it didn't mean that it was my fault and it didn't mean that my parents loved me any less."

"Really," Teddy asked weakly, like he didn't want to seem too eager to ask.

"Yeah, really," Harry insisted gently, smiling at Teddy. "If there's one thing I've realized in my life, it's that there's only one thing you really never have to worry about, and that's death. In my experience, death is the one thing that always has a way of taking care of itself. It's living that's the tricky part."

Harry paused, staring at Teddy.

"Did you understand that at all?" Harry asked with a bemused grin. Teddy laughed that mischievous way that all little kids did and shook his head. "Ha, that's alright. I'll tell you again when you're old enough to understand."

"So who's the story about?" Teddy asked curiously.

"This story," Harry began, as Teddy laid down, pulling the covers over himself, "is about me."

"You?" Teddy asked, clearly intrigued.

"Yeah, me," Harry continued with a smile, tucking little Teddy in. "Me and your Daddy."

"Time to go, Ted," the older Harry said, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him up and up and up… farther away from his Mum and Dad…

_I'm falling into memories of you _

_The things we used to do _

_Follow me there, a beautiful somewhere _

_A place that we can share_

Finally the darkness he was being pulled up through broke and light hit him like ice cold water from all sides.

"Now, Ted," Harry began, leaning against the desk, "_now_ you can ask me."

Teddy was trembling all over, so badly that he felt the overwhelming need to sit down. He took deep breaths, one after another after another, but he was still shaken by the whole experience.

"I have to go," Teddy said after regaining confidence in his own leg function, leaving the room in a flash.

_Falling into memories of you _

_Things we used to do..._

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**Props to Yellowcard and their song "One Year, Six Months", which I've tweaked for my purposes in this chapter. **

**REVIEW!**

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	21. Precipitation

Here it is! One more chapter and the action REALLY starts!

Please review guys! After this, there's only six more chapters! Help me break 300 reviews by the end! Or more!

Enjoy.

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**Chapter 20: **

**Precipitation **

"Ted?"

Cass stood at the front door of her above-garage apartment, standing in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a camisole with her bangs pulled back in a clasp. She was clearly not going anywhere.

Teddy walked in past her without a word. He knew she wouldn't mind, as she'd barged into Harry and Ginny's house many a time—as well as his and Joaquin's apartment. Besides, he wasn't thinking properly… nothing seemed to make very much sense.

"Ted, you've got me worried, what's the matter?" Cass asked concernedly, setting a hand on his shoulder. Teddy jumped at her touch, and she immediately pulled her hand back, starting at him inquiringly. "Teddy, what's wrong?"

He didn't speak for a few minutes. He just paced around Cass's flat, as she stood by the still-open door know better than to interrupt him at this moment.

Something strange had happened after watching those memories of his parents. Before it had been so easy not to think of them. Before they had been nothing more than two people in a picture frame with him. Now it was undeniable. He had seen them; they had been close enough to touch.

It wasn't fair, Teddy thought. It wasn't fair that they were so real, yet not quite. It wasn't fair that he had been within inches of them, but in reality they had never really been there at all. He had wanted to reach out, to touch them, and make them know he was there, but the truth was, if he had, they wouldn't have known the difference.

It was like walking through a museum. You could look—hell, if you didn't mind getting in trouble, you could even touch. But in effect, look was all you could do. Because if you did touch, what difference would it make? The moments were gone. Even physically touching them couldn't _really_ put you in the moments. You could not go back and experience the past, or the people who existed only there. Teddy could not go back, because he was in the present—his present—and his parents were in the past, and neither could cross the barrier between the two.

"Where's… uh…" Teddy said, wondering why it was so deathly quiet in the apartment.

"Everyone's out," she said, never getting distracted from his shaken state. "They went to Diagon Alley." She paused for a second. "What's wrong?"

"Harry…" Teddy said. "Harry showed me these memories of my parents…"

"He what?" Cass asked, half alarmed and half surprised.

"He had saved memories of my Mum and Dad," he explained as he sat down on her couch. "He put them in his pensieve and he showed them to me."

"What did he show you?" she asked gently, sitting down beside him.

"Nothing particularly special," he responded, shrugging. "It was just seeing them, there right in front of me. They were real. Only they weren't."

Teddy said nothing for a few more moments. Cass remained silent as well, until it became clear Teddy was going to say no more.

"I'm sorry, Ted," she said softly. "I know how it feels."

"No," Ted responded, shaking his head, but not making eye contact. "No you don't."

"What the bloody hell do you mean, I don't know what it feels like?" Cass retorted, looking highly offended. "I'm sorry, Ted, but have you just discovered that my parents are actually alive?" Teddy didn't respond. "Oh, I suppose not, eh?"

"You got seven years with your parents!" Teddy shot back at her, standing up and backing away from her. "I got about three months, none of which I remember on my own! Don't act like it's the same thing!"

"You know that shocked, deadened, empty feeling you get when you think about the memories of your parents?!" Cass shouted at him. "That's what my entire life is like! We've both been living with this emptiness for a long time, Ted! The only difference is you didn't know what you were missing, and I did!"

"It sucks, Ted," she said, speaking loud although it could not be considered shouting. "It really sucks, remembering them as more than a picture in a frame. It reminds you that they aren't here with you like you want them to be. It reminds you that you'll never get another chance to be with them. I get it." She sighed. "I don't know which is worse: wanting something that you've never had or wishing you still had something you lost. But either way, I understand what it's like to be without your parents."

Teddy wanted to respond. He wanted to apologize for mitigating her pain, and discrediting her feelings. He felt like a right prat for even saying that, and an even bigger one now that Cass was being nice about it. He plopped down on the couch.

"If it makes you feel less like a baby," Cass said, going to the hobo sack on the coffee table and extracting from it her pair of signature headphones, "I carry these around everywhere I go." Teddy was a proverbial millimeter away from stupidly asking what in the bloody hell the headphones had to do with this, but thought better of it.

"You've seen me in these a million times, I'm sure," Cass started off, looking down at the headphones in her hands. And it was true: the very first time Teddy had met Cass she had been wearing those headphones, and that had proven to be only the first time of many. "They play any song with the proper spell, but I've only ever learned one song."

"What song is that?" Teddy asked softly.

"You probably don't know it," she responded, never taking her eyes off the headphones in her hands. "It was… it was a song my dad wrote for my mum, before they got married. They were about our age now when he wrote it for her, and he performed it with his band." She was not near tears, but she seemed a bit shaken. "I listen to it whenever I wish they were there with me."

"Like on the train," Teddy remembered. "Like the first day on the train."

Cass nodded with a slight smile.

"Like the first day on the train," she repeated. "It makes me feel like if I needed them, they'd be right there."

Teddy just nodded, his smile fading.

"What are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down beside him on the couch and carefully setting a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "I thought this would make everything makes sense, I thought seeing them, hearing them would make everything fall into place…" He shook his head. "But I'm more confused than I was before. And I'm angry, and I don't know why."

"Who are you mad at?" she urged him.

"My dad," he started off. "Harry. Iz. Vic. Elle."

"Why?"

"My dad, because he nearly ditched my mum and I before I was born, just because he was a bloody werewolf!" he shouted, not mad at Cass but at the people he had named. "And for making me wonder if there's something bloody wrong with me because I'm one too!"

"Ted, there's nothing—"

"And Harry, because he hadn't shown this to me before tonight!" he continued, cutting her off. "And Iz, for fucking coming in when everything was fine and dandy and making me doubt everything in my life! And Vic, because I really had felt something for her and she makes me fucking angry with myself for hurting her! And Elle, for bloody spilling the beans about you and me to Vic without any thought of the consequences!"

"Ted…" she said, trying to calm him down. "You don't know that it was Elle…."

"Oh, I beg to differ," he shot back. "This has Elle written all over it. Elle thinks that just because she's a fucking genius she can go around, messing with people's lives because she thinks that we couldn't _possibly_ know what we're doing without her!"

"Have you talked to her about this?" Cass asked.

"No, but I know it was her," he insisted, shaking his head. "I just know it."

"Ted…" she started off tentatively, "it wasn't Elle who told Vic about you and I."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, not believing her. She sighed, closing her eyes.

"I told Vic about us."

Teddy said nothing for a moment. Truth be told, he didn't know what there was to say to that.

He stood, his eyes still fixed on her, wide with horror.

"_You_ told Vic?" he asked slowly, standing up. "Why?!"

"Why?!" Cass repeated spitefully, standing up as well. "_Why?!_ Because you're not the only one between us allowed to feel guilty about this! And don't fucking lie and say that you're not! I _saw _you whenever you'd see Vic! It ate you up, Ted! And it ate me up too! Vic is a nice person! A _decent_ person! She didn't deserve us sneaking around behind her back during your week-long breaks from commitment!"

"Then why didn't you stop it!" he shot back, enraged. "Huh?! Why didn't you end it!"

"Because I love you!" she screamed at him.

For a moment, Teddy didn't respond. He couldn't think…

"Because you're my best friend, and I love you!" she explained rather loudly. Teddy relaxed a bit, though he wasn't sure if it was from relief or disappointment. She had not meant love how he had thought. "Because you needed me, and you're my best friend, and I'm supposed to be there when you need me! I'm supposed to be your plan B!"

Remembering that phrase hit Teddy like a bucket of ice cold water. That night, at the restaurant, in the bathroom, before he had gone to Victoire… _I'll always be here. I'll be your plan B._

"You know what, just go," she said nastily, going to the door.

Just then, Teddy heard a clicking sound.

"Hey, Cass," Teddy said, squinting in confusion at the window, where a striking Barn Owl was barely visible against the black night sky.

"Go blow it out your ass, Ted," she said spitefully, going to open the door for him.

"Delilah's at the window."

"Delilah?" she asked, apparently entirely forgetting that she was mad at Teddy. She closed the door and went to the window, pulling up the shutter to let her in. She hooted, gliding over to the coffee table and landing in a flurry of feathers. "What are you doing here, Love? You're about ten hours early."

Cass had bought Delilah second year—after becoming immensely jealous of Teddy's Great Horned Owl, Samson. Having known Delilah that long, he was fully aware that her night schedule was like clockwork: Cass would let her out at seven PM every evening, and she would spend the entire night hunting and return promptly at six AM. That was why Cass was so surprised to see her here right now.

"Got something for me, have you?" Cass asked Delilah gently, and the owl promptly stuck out her leg, a note tied around it. She undid the tie and unfurled the note.

"Who's it from?" Teddy asked tentatively, worried that at any moment she would remember that she was supposed to be mad at him.

She didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the paper in her hand.

"Cass?" he asked again. No reply. He raised his voice just a bit. "Cass?"

She jumped at his voice, dropping the note. After that she simply stood there for a few more moments, her hands still out in front of her as if she were still holding the note but her eyes darting around the room.

Suddenly, she dropped her hands and grabbed her bag off the couch where she had dropped it after extracting the headphones from it. She bustled around the apartment, tossing in a few essentials.

"Cass, what happened?" Teddy asked her.

"Um…" she said, glancing around the apartment frantically, running a hand through her hair. "Gemma… something, something's wrong with Gemma…"

"What?" Teddy asked, alarmed.

"I don't know…" she said, looking like a lost little kid in a busy mall—unsure and panicking. "Elijah said that she collapsed during dinner… and they're, um… they're all at St. Mungo's."

"Okay, I'll go with you," Teddy said calmly, putting his arm around Cass and steering her towards the door.

---

"Gemma Devereaux!" Cass barked at the receptionist, who had asked Cass to repeat Gemma's name a second time. "Merlin, you should not be a receptionist at St. Mungo's if you can't even take down a bloody name!"

"Cass, patience is a virtue," he said, pulling her away from the startled receptionist.

"Take your patience and shove it up your ass, Ted!" she snapped. "Find Gemma!"

"Marie," Teddy said calmly, going back to the reception desk, "can you page Healer Vega?"

"Sure," she said, still a bit shell-shocked from Cass's outburst as she dialed his page number. Sure enough, about thirty seconds later, Joaquin apparated just to the left of the reception desk.

"Hey, Teddy, what's going on?" he asked, his hands in his pockets.

"Cass's younger sister is in here somewhere," Teddy said quickly as Cass stood back, pacing and biting her thumbnail. "She's about 5'7" with curly brown hair. Her name is Gemma."

"You're not gonna believe it, but she's actually my patient right now," Joaquin responded. "Follow me."

"Cass, Joaquin is treating Gemma," Teddy said, snapping Cass out of her pacing, nail-biting reverie. "C'mon."

She said nothing, but nodded and followed him and Joaquin down the hallway.

After a couple minutes of navigating, they turned a corner and found EB, Thatch, Ava, Lulu and Josie all standing outside of a room, apparently waiting for Cass.

"What happened?" Cass asked, coming upon them. Ava and Lulu scurried over and gave her a hug around the waist.

"We were just eating, and then all of a sudden she looked short of breath," Thatch explained, looking worried. "She said she needed air, but before she made it out of the restaurant, she just… fell."

"Joaquin," Cass said, turning to him, "what's wrong on with her? Why did she collapse?"

"At the moment, it's unclear," he explained very methodically. "We're still running tests, and we should know in a couple hours."

"A couple hours?!" Cass yelped, staring at him in shock. "So what are you doing in the meantime?"

"We're keeping an eye on her, to make sure the situation doesn't get worse," Joaquin explained.

"And what if it does?!" she asked frantically. "You don't know what's causing it! What are you going to do if it gets worse?!"

Joaquin didn't answer. Teddy knew that if it got worse, there were only a few options to tide her over until they figured out what was wrong, and chances were they might not work.

"God," she sighed, realizing what he meant without him having to explain. She stepped back. "Can I at least see her?"

"At the moment, we don't know what's causing the reaction," Joaquin said tentatively. "So we can't allow anyone in that doesn't absolutely _have_ to be in there."

Cass nodded, looking down at the floor.

"You can see her through the window, if you like," Joaquin offered weakly, knowing it was not the same, but figuring that it was better than nothing.

She nodded again, stepping in front of the window. Teddy followed, watching Gemma—who was the very definition of vivacity—lay still amongst the bed sheets.

"Teddy, can I talk to you?" EB asked, rising from his chair.

"Er, sure…" Teddy said, following EB around the corner.

"Can I ask you a favor?" EB asked quietly once they were out of earshot.

"Sure, anything," Teddy insisted.

"Staying here isn't doing any of us any good," he started off. "I'm going to take Lulu, Ava and Thatch home, because Lulu and Ava are tired and Thatch is worried sick, and staying here is just making it harder for them."

"Right, what do you need me to do?" Teddy asked obediently, ready to help with anything they needed.

"Have Cass stay over with you," he explained. "She needs you right now. If she comes home with us, she'll lock herself up in the apartment and stew all night. Just try and take her mind off it."

"Alright," Teddy nodded. EB nodded in thanks, then looked down. "By the way, mate."

"Yeah?" EB asked, looking very stressed out.

"It wasn't your fault," he told him. "It was just an accident. You couldn't have seen it coming."

"Thanks," EB responded, offering a weak smile.

The two walked back together.

"Cass," Teddy said, setting a hand on her shoulder as EB rounded up everyone and proceeded to leave. "Let's go back to my place, yeah?"

"I can't," she said insistently, shaking her head and never letting her eyes leave Gemma. "I can't…"

"They'll owl us if something changes," he assured her. "C'mon, Gemma's gonna be fine. They'll find out what's wrong. You need to rest."

"Ted," she said, trying to protest.

"Just trust me," he said soothingly.

She tore her eyes away from Gemma, looking at him as though she was trying to decide if she should.

"Alright," she sighed, hitching up her bag on her shoulder. "Let's go."

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**Please enjoy! My parents are chewing me out for being on the comp, so please reward my updating by reviewing a ton!**

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	22. Up Against The Wall

HERE IT IS! DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN!

Five more chapters...

Enjoy.

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**Chapter 21: **

**Up Against the Wall **

Teddy nearly had to run to keep up with Cass. After the two had Apparated into his building, she had immediately set off for the elevator, and now as the two waited for it to reach his floor.

While the arrow on the floor counter continued to inch its way across the spectrum, the two simply stood there, not speaking or even looking at one another. The tension seemed to be pressing against them from all sides, threatening to crush them under the pressure of it all.

Teddy dared to sneak a glance at Cass. Her face was expressionless, void of any telltale signs of what was running through her mind at that moment. Though there were so many things to love about Cass; this remarkable ability to shut off her vulnerability was not one of them. As someone's best friend, you were supposed to be able to comfort them when they were upset, to make them feel better, but with Cass he had never known that. Cass may have been capable of anger, but as far as sadness went, it was basically an "air" concept: you knew it was there but never actually got to see it.

The moment the door on the elevator swooshed open, Cass was off of it, streaking down the hall. When she reached Teddy's door—nearly a mile ahead of him—she simply stood there, impatiently waiting for him to come and open the door. Once he reached his door and had unlocked it, Cass darted inside.

Teddy was highly disconcerted; he'd never seen Cass like this in the nearly eight years they'd been friends. She was always so settled, so in control. Now it seemed as though she was a complete mess, pacing around the great room with seemingly no purpose, direction or sense. She looked like a spooked horse, dashing about in a corral, wanting desperately to run away and realizing that she couldn't.

Teddy walked up to Cass and gently grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stay put. He'd expected to have ended up employing more force to keep her from pacing about, but it felt to Teddy as though she'd wanted—needed—to be stopped. She'd wanted someone to hold onto her, to keep the world from swirling and spinning around her. She'd needed someone to hold her in place when it seemed like the entire world was falling down around her.

Cass looked at him desperately, clenching her jaw like she was trying not to cry. Her blue-green-grey-hazel eyes kept darting from one of his eyes to the other, like she couldn't decide what she should do. She seemed to be caught between sucking it up and acting like nothing was wrong, and letting herself cry and holding onto Teddy like her life depended on it.

She did neither.

She leaned in and kissed Teddy, kissing him as she'd never kissed him before. Every one of their kisses before—besides their first—had been ravenous and inexplicably hot with desire, and that had been all. But this… this was so different. It was needy and desperate, like his kiss was the only thing standing between her and unimaginable pain.

"Cass, no," Teddy murmured, trying to pull away, only to have Cass kiss him so deeply again, which he found completely irresistible. After a few more moments his resolve strengthened again. "Cassie, c'mon…"

He pulled back again, their faces still mere inches apart.

"Teddy, don't—" she protested softly, trying to kiss him again.

"Cass," he said firmly, setting his hands on her shoulders. "Stop it."

"No, you stop it!" she shouted at him, pushing his shoulders back in a shove. "Don't _even_ start with this hypocritical, sanctimonious lecture about not using this set up of ours to drown my sorrows, because for nearly a year now, that's all this has been! And I never complained because you are my best _bloody_ friend! And I understood that everything hurt so fucking bad and all you wanted was to just forget that everything seemed so fucked up and wrong! So just shut up! Don't tell me it's wrong, I already know! I just want to forget!"

"I was wrong, Cass," Teddy shot back, not angry but emphatic. "I was wrong. It was completely wrong of me to use you like that. You're a person, and more importantly you're my best friend. No one deserves to be treated like some object to make another feel better. It was awful, how I treated you. And it was never fair for you. I can't ask you to forgive me but I can keep you from doing it again. Because it's not gonna help you. It's not gonna make Gemma better, and it's not gonna make this go away."

Cass locked eyes with him, caught between a desire to fight or break down.

Suddenly, her face crumpled and with a small squeak, she collapsed into his arms, crying with abandon. Her whole body shook with the force of the sobs as Teddy simply stood there, holding her tight as she wept into his chest. For a minute or two, they stayed like this: Cass crying desperately and Teddy holding her fast, his arms wrapped around her reassuringly and his chin resting on top of her head. As he rubbed her back soothingly and breathed in the sweet-smelling scent of her hair, he couldn't imagine a single place on earth he'd rather be.

But past a few minutes, Teddy needed to move her to the couch because he simply couldn't hold her up anymore. As the sobs continued to rack her body, he picked her up like a bride and carried her to the couch where he carefully set her down. He removed her bag and her boots, setting them on the floor beside her. Just then Teddy realized how deathly cold it was in the apartment, and with a flick of his wand a fire erupted in the grate. He glanced back at Cass, who was sitting upright in a fetal position, and returned to her on the couch, conjuring a blanket for her. He attempted to drape it around her shoulders, but she snuggled up to him, so he draped it around the both of them instead, wrapping his arm around Cass.

"Ted…" she murmured through her sobs, picking her head up off his shoulder to look him right in the eye. She sniffed. "The song…"

"Right," he muttered quickly, leaning down to reach into her bag and grabbing the headphones. He extracted them from the bag and handed them to Cass. She pressed a button on the side and the song played loud enough for them both to hear without having to wear them, and set it down on the coffee table.

At the first chord, Cass burst into a fresh round of tears, and Teddy pulled her close, letting her cry.

_It's over _

_Look out below _

_And I'm wasted _

_I still taste it _

_Yeah it's so hard to let go _

At that she heaved a particularly painful sob. Teddy rubbed her arm reassuringly, as if to remind her she wasn't alone.

_So breathe in now _

_And breathe it out _

_The forecast _

_A car crash _

_It's looking like another _

_Breakdown, rebound _

_This could be my last goodbye _

_You cross your heart, I hope to die _

Teddy remembered what Cass had said earlier, that this song was written by her dad to her mum before they got married. He could only imagine how hard it must be for her to hear his voice—such a concrete reminder that he really had been there, really had existed, but didn't anymore. It had been hard enough looking at the photos of his parents at times, but once Harry had shown him the memories of them, he had wanted to die, it'd hurt so badly. He'd wanted so desperately to touch them, to talk to them, to see the look in their eyes when they saw what had become of him. He'd wanted more than just a glimpse, a voice, or a memory. And the reality that this was all he'd ever get was enough to make him want it all to be over.

_And I can't deny your eyes _

_You know I try to read between the lines _

_I saw a warning sign _

_And then you threw me up against the wall _

_Who said it was better to have loved and lost? _

_I wish that I had never loved at all _

Teddy felt a rather uncomfortable lump rise in his throat. He tried to force it down, to ignore it. He was there for Cass, there to comfort her when he most needed her, not to take advantage of her. That's why he had stopped her before, when she had kissed him. Because she had used it as a crutch, as something to dull the pain.

Also because it hadn't just been for fun. It had meant something.

And, apparently, that was bad.

_No rewinds _

_No second times _

_And I won't break _

_No I won't waste everything you left behind _

_So don't follow _

_Just let it go _

_The weather's been better _

_Don't let it be another _

_Breakdown, rebound _

_This could be my last goodbye _

_You cross your heart, I hope to die _

Cass kept talking about this line that they shouldn't and couldn't cross. But where was it? How could she tell if they were safely on the side they were supposed to be or if they were teetering on the edge, ready to tumble over it?

He knew that it was hard to admit something that could potentially kill the longest friendship that you'd ever had. After all that's what he'd been doing for the past year. But was it really _so_ awful for them to feel something for each other? Was it really more awful than staying in this crappy middle ground, where they were more than friends but less than lovers?

_All the nights you spent sitting nowhere when you were out there on your own _

_All the nights I waited by the phone when you were going it alone _

_All your different faces and different ways are making everything a mess _

_And all I'm saying is that all your different places and all the complications laid to rest… _

Teddy was tired of trying to hide and tired of pretending. He wanted Cass. He knew it. Sitting there, with Cass curled up right next to him and her head nestled in his shoulder, he knew he was done getting to look but never to touch, tired of having to settle for a piece when he'd never get the whole. He could accept it for his parents, but not for this, not with Cass. Not when the only thing holding them back was their own fear.

_And I can't deny your eyes _

_You know I tried to read between the lines _

_I saw a warning sign _

_And then you threw me up against the wall _

_Who said that it's better to have loved and lost? _

_I wish that I had never loved at all _

_

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_

**Rejoice all Cass/Ted shippers! Or not... we don't know what she's feeling... oooo how ominous. **

**I'm very very sorry to all Ted/Vic shippers. I hope you will all keep reading, even though I obliterated any chances of Vic/Ted.**

**On another note, I do not own the song that Cass listens to. It is the fabulous work of one of my very favorite bands, Boys Like Girls. Props to them!**

**Another update tomorrow if I'm satisfied with the review turnout!**

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	23. I Can't Deny Your Eyes

Okay, I'm starting to get really sentimental and sad because the story is nearing the end! Don't worry, there's still four more chapters after this, but this chapter is the climax! YAAAAY! and NOOOO! at the same time. And I want to thank you all for all the support and reviews you have given me! As of last check, I have 300 reviews!!!!!!!! I can't even tell you all how much it means to me, although just prior to the final chapter I will use a chapter slot to thank all of my reviewers and declare my favorite reviewers (although it's really a relative term, because I love you all!). Don't tell on me though, I'm not technically supposed to do that.

Anyway, I hope this chapter is as good as all the lead up! Please you guys, I now have 60 people on the alert list for this story and 30 people on my author alert list. Imagine how many reviews I'd get if EVERYONE reviewed all the rest of the chapters! I might even be able to break 400!

Okay, enjoy people. And let me know what you think!

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**Chapter 22: **

**I Can't Deny Your Eyes **

As the song came to a close, Teddy realized that Cass had stopped crying and was now breathing steadily.

"Cass," he whispered softly, trying to draw her attention to him. He curled his forefinger under her chin and gently urged her face upward to look at him. He stared at her intently, drinking in the eyes that hid behind a pane of glass, the ones he never knew the true color of.

He reached up and made to pull off her glasses, but paused with his forefinger and thumb on the frame, remembering the nuclear reaction that followed last time he'd removed her glasses. He glanced back and forth from one eye to another, inquiring whether he was allowed to remove them or not. She gave a very small nod of her head, so small it looked like she was trying to see how small she could make it. He pulled off her glasses, gently and slowly, and carefully set them on the table.

When he looked back at her, she smiled gratefully, shifting a little bit as Teddy retook his place on the couch. He adjusted for a moment as well, pulling the blanket back around them and wrapping his arm around Cass's shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, the two of them never breaking their eye contact. She offered a small tired, smile.

"I am now."

At that, Teddy felt as though he had begun to have a stroke—or what he imagined a stroke to be like. His brain didn't seem to be functioning properly; unintelligible, impossible-to-comprehend ideas of how he was supposed to respond kept bouncing around the inside of his head. Yet his heart and mind were racing, his heart running a million miles an hour and his thoughts were matching it, flying in an infinite number of directions, at an impossible speed, all at once. And he could not find the words to respond.

He felt remarkably stupid, having held it all together up until this point and then to suddenly have this odd stroke-like reaction when she made a comment that could so easily be completely innocuous. But he simply let it go. It didn't really matter, after all.

There was really only one thing that mattered.

She made a minutely small move, shifting her weight against him, and suddenly her face—and lips—were mere inches from his. Her eyes, darting from one of his to the other, were gazing innocently into his, and Teddy—without a single coherent thought—simply stayed still, transfixed on her. She inched closer to him—closer and closer—and with a soft intake of breath, she grazed her lips against his before inflicting only the most tender and gentle pressure against lips.

Being so close to her, with the scent of her jasmine shampoo filled his lungs and her full, soft lips kissing him as he'd never been kissed before, he realized that if he didn't do something about it—and quickly—he was going to have his way with her right then and there.

"Um," he said softly, breaking the kiss and forcing the image of Hagrid in a flowery pink sundress to stifle the surge of heat in his trousers. Cass looked at him curiously, as if to ask what the hell he was doing. "I, uh…"

Damn him and damn his hormones. If this had been Cass's flat, then this would've been the part where he would've said that he ought to leave. But it wasn't, and while he was sure there was a completely non-rude way to say that they should put just a bit of distance between themselves before he pounced on her, he was beyond horny and the only portion of his brain that was still functioning (and only _just_ barely) was contemplating how quickly he could rip Cass's clothes off.

"Ted?" Cass whispered. "Can I ask you for something?"

Good god.

"Anything." He managed to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Don't make me go back tonight."

She spoke so honestly, so sincerely. Her wide bluish-greenish-hazelish eyes were alight with a childlike innocence, yet at the same moment he could clearly see the suffering she'd endured—lurking beneath the surface so that it was close enough to touch, but just far enough so that he couldn't quite get at it. And as he looked into those beautifully broken eyes, he knew he'd never be able to say no.

"Never," he murmured, shaking his head softly. He ran a hand through her hair, her soft, sweet-smelling hair….

Her lips were on his again, kissing him so softly and so tenderly…

He felt himself wanting to move, to rip off her clothes and take her right here on the couch, where Lily and Albus played and Gram sat when she visited, and not care one bit that it was the same spot.

But he couldn't let himself. This had to be different. He couldn't let this be just another time.

"Cass, hold on," he whispered, breaking the kiss for a moment and standing.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked, puzzled as he went to the stairs.

"Just wait here," he told her, taking the stairs two at a time. "I'll be right back."

He darted into his room, closing the door behind him. He grabbed his wand off his dresser and flicked it at the bottom drawer. A bunch of candles that Ginny had randomly given him—which he hadn't thought he'd be able to use, go figure—flew out and landed in random counter spaces around the room. With another flick, they all lit. He realized with a jolt that he'd forgotten to make his bed this morning, and with another wave of his wand he corrected it.

"What are you doing?" Cass asked, coming into the room and glancing around a bit at the mood lighting.

"Nothing," Teddy said quickly, meeting her at the door. His lips met hers before she could say anything more.

He could feel her lips moving faster, following their usual protocol. But he didn't want the usual protocol.

His lips moved slowly and softly against hers, feeling the warmth spreading from his lips to the rest of his body. Every sensation in his body felt heightened: the hammering of his heart against his ribcage felt less like a drumbeat and more like a small person was trying to beat their way out of his chest; the strangled, swelling feeling in his chest was at a critical mass; his mind was completely gone, without a single coherent thought to be found.

His fingertips traced gentle circles against her miraculously soft skin, savoring the singular pleasure of her skin under his hands and wanting nothing more than for this to be all he ever felt… the two were slowly making their way to the bed…

He laid her down with the utmost care and gentleness, acutely aware of all his tiniest motions. He wanted everything to be just right.

His hands set themselves at the bottom of her camisole, and he slid it upward and upward, her skin—bit by bit—becoming more and more visible… he littered soft, feathery kisses up her smooth tummy as her shirt rose upwards and upwards… once her camisole was fully off, he undid the pull string on her pants, and pulled them slowly—almost agonizingly slowly—down her impeccable legs…

Soon she was lying beneath him, almost entirely naked except for her bra and panties. At that moment, Teddy realized that he had never properly taken the time to see Cass for what—not who, because who she was had always been clear—she was, which was stunningly beautiful. Especially now, with her bangs out of her face and her glasses stashed somewhere far away and her beautiful skin looking as though it had been dusted with gold in the candlelight, she looked so striking and artistic, like a painting. No, not everything was constructed perfectly, but it wouldn't be the same if it were. It was the tiny imperfections that gave her an extra dimension, an extra depth.

His lips met hers again, in the softest and sweetest of kisses. He could not explain this wonderful feeling, but he felt so full of it that he felt as though he was bursting at the seams… he felt so remarkably complete… nothing else mattered, nothing but this beautiful woman, with the skin that seemed to emit light and the smile that made the world go right and the kiss that gave everything sense…

Her smooth, small hands went to the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head in the same agonizingly slow fashion… her fingertips left trails of heat on his bare skin… her lips gently kissed the tender skin of his neck as the shirt left him…

As her hands slowly went for the snap on his jeans, Teddy realized her hands were shaking.

"Cass," he whispered against her lips. She ignored him, continuing their kiss; he pulled away. "Cass, look at me."

She stopped, laying flat against the bed. Her eyebrows were winkled slightly, as if she was trying not to look worried or scared and her eyes themselves seemed to be trembling—if that were literally possible.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly, brushing a tress of hair out of her face.

"Nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head. She offered a small, weak smile. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"You're lying," he said frankly. Her face fell a bit slack after that, as if no one had ever before said that to her. "Cass, if something's wrong, we don't have to…"

"No, Ted," she said immediately, taking his face in her small, smooth, trembling hands, as if she wanted to physically hold him there. "Please, don't leave. I need you."

"Then why are you trembling?" he asked her pointedly.

"Never mind," she said in a failing attempt to sound convincing, breaking eye contact with him.

"Cass, stop," he said, a bit impatient. He just wanted her to—for once—be honest with him. "Please, look at me."

She shut her eyelids tightly, and drew in a deep, wavering breath. For a moment she remained like that, as though she was gathering her strength. Then, in one, slow motion, she opened her eyes, which were fixed on his.

"How come you're so scared?" Teddy asked gently.

"Because I don't want to be alone."

It sounded so honest. So true. She looked more scared than ever.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead, and another on her temple, and another on her cheek before reaching her lips again…

He set his hands on her hips, hooking his thumbs under the sides of her panties and slid them slowly down, down, down… she was doing the same for him… his hands were nimbly undoing her bra hook… he knew this was the moment… this moment could change everything…

He positioned himself above her, posed to enter her.

His eyes met hers.

His eyes scanned hers carefully, as though he was asking if this was what she wanted. For a moment, she simply stared back at him, before setting a hand at the nape of his neck and drawing his lips to hers in an apparent affirmative.

Teddy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up along with him, and he slowly—painstakingly slowly—entered her. She let out a hitched moan against his lips, never breaking the kiss.

Everything felt so surreal and impossibly wonderful…

She was so beautiful…

In the only still-functioning part of his brain, he imagined how it would with her like this, every night… holding her close and kissing her and carrying on like this forever…

Every motion was wonderfully slow… he could feel every single, breathtaking motion…

Cass's lips were on his, kissing him in the way only she knew how, the way only she could…

"Cass…" he whispered desperately, wanting her and needing her and imagining a million sunlit mornings with her lying in his arms… her words from before ringing hopefully in his ears… _I need you…_

Cass responded only with a whimper of pleasure, making the most beautiful sound Teddy had ever heard as she dropped her head back, exposing the tender skin of her neck… Teddy kissed it gently, her wondrously soft skin tasting like honey…

She was tightening around him…

His breath was hitched and uneven…

There were no words to describe this experience, this moment…

He couldn't think…

Nothing was like this… nothing could compare…

Cass ground her hips into his, Teddy nearly passing out on the spot from the sheer pleasure… the sweet, sweet torture was building and building and he didn't know if he would be able to survive the crescendo…

With a long, strangled cry, she reached her climax and moments later he followed her.

The two collapsed in a heap, both of them so weak from their prior activities that they couldn't hold each other up.

Teddy couldn't keep the smile off his face as he laid there beside Cass, basking in the glory of what had just happened. It sounded stupid and naïve, but he'd never felt this close to anyone… ever. Not Harry or Ginny or Gram or Elle or Cyrus. Not even Isabella.

Teddy turned on his side to face Cass, who was staring rather intently up at the ceiling.

"You okay?" he asked her, kissing her small, feminine shoulder.

"Erm, yeah," she said, entirely unconvincing. Her eyes remained on the ceiling. Without any warning, she sat up quickly and began to get dressed.

"What are you doing?" Teddy asked, nonplussed.

"I'm getting dressed," she explained rather obviously, sounding like nothing was wrong, though her shaking hands gave her away again. She had already put on her underwear and was now pulling on her camisole.

"I meant why," he clarified, pulling on his boxers just in case she did a runner and he'd have to chase her down.

"Because I'm gonna go," she said, She didn't sound cold or callous about it, but rather like she was extremely anxious and was trying to sound like she wasn't. She pulled on her pants and left the room, Teddy pulling _his_ pants on as quickly as he could and following her. They were back at the couch before he caught up with her.

"I thought you were going to stay over."

She looked up from her bag—where she was hurriedly stuffing her headphones inside.

"Yeah, about that," she started off uncertainly. "I, erm… I should go back to the hospital and check on Gemma… you know, in case something has changed…"

She sat down on the couch, pulling on her boots as she prepared to leave.

Teddy refused to believe it at first. There was no way she could _actually _believe that this was just another fuck, to either one of them. It had been so much deeper than some stupid physical satisfaction.

"This has to stop, Cass," he said, resigned. This caught her attention immediately.

"What are you talking about?" she asked cautiously, rising from the couch. "I'm leaving anyway."

"No," he corrected her, shaking his head. "_This_ has to stop. This situation. This… friends with benefits thing."

"Wait, what?" Cass asked incredulously. "Why?"

"It's just…" he started, words failing him as his voice trailed off, "not working…"

"Oh, I get it," she sneered sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest. "So you're just bloody tired of me, right? What am I, a fucking bore to you now?" She let out an indignant snort, snatching up her bag like she was ready to walk out right this minute. "I'm done with this."

"Oh, well you know what I'm done with?!" he shouted at her, grabbing her arm before she walked away. His voice was almost breaking as he spoke. "This crappy fucking middle ground, Cass! I'm tired of trying to remember where 'the line' is, and whether I've crossed it or not! I'm so sick of it all!"

"We're there for each other when we need each other, I thought that's what you wanted!" she shot back, yanking her arm from his grasp. "For us to be each other's plan B!"

"I don't wanna be your fucking plan B!" he screamed. He felt an inexplicable pain at these words. "I'm done with that! I don't just want the damn sex! It's not enough! Yes, the sex is great, but I want more than that! I want to hold you when you cry and unabashedly buy your tampons and go to sleep and wake up next to you every morning and every night and I don't wanna share you with some other bloke!"

He stared at her intently, breathing heavily. She looked shocked.

"I love you, Cass," he finished desperately, his whole chest seizing up. "I love you so much."

She immediately looked away from him, as if she physically couldn't look at him anymore.

"You wanna know where the line was?" she asked, her voice a deadly whisper. "That was it. You crossed it. And now, Ted, there's no way to go back."

"Is that what you want?" he asked quietly. "To go back? Because I sure as hell don't. You can't just tell me that meant nothing to you. That's why you got up so quick to leave." He stared at her, trying to invoke some kind of emotional response. "That was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. And I know you felt it too."

She just stood there, cold as a statue.

"If _this_ is really what you want, then fine. But just look me in the eye and answer me this."

She looked him in the eye, her eyes cold and unfeeling.

"Do you love me?"

She stared at him for a few more moments, her eyes hardening before his.

"No."

Teddy felt the wind leave his chest. He simply stared at her, waiting for her to show some sign of a lie, of emotion… but there was none. She backed away from him and went to the door.

She opened it and left without looking back once.

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**Okay, I'm gonna squash a theory right now by adding that before they had sex, Ted DID perform a Contraceptive Charm. So sorry. :D**

**So can I get a rousing "What the f&$#?!"? I'm sure I'm pissing off a lot of people with this chapter, but just trust me. Kay?**

**Let's all review a bunch for your lovely author:D**

**Until the next update...**

**mmb**


	24. She's Gone

Thank you all so much for all your reviews! 38 review in one day!!! That's crazy!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you all for reviewing so much, I _so_ appreciate it!

And just for a bit of insight into my personal life, I just went back to school today after break. And it was like... eh. I mean, who likes school? Not me.

I say that only because it will affect the updating schedule. I will do my best to update regularly, but no guarantees

Okay, here we go!

Happy reading.

mmb

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**Chapter 23: **

**She's Gone **

_When you're dreaming with a broken heart _

_The waking up is the hardest part _

Teddy had been in a fog for nearly two weeks.

Everything had been a routine. He woke up, went to work, came home, slept, and started it all over again. If he kept himself on a tight enough schedule—he had discovered—it was entirely easier not to think about it.

But—of course—Elle and Joaquin had been plotting together to break him of his "emotional constipation" (their words, not his). Teddy had protested, but it was no use. Joaquin had called their boss and told him that Teddy had Dragon Pox, which basically meant that you were mandatorily given two weeks off, three if deemed necessary—the last time a Healer had come in with Dragon Pox, he'd infected half the hospital before they'd gotten it under control.

They wanted him to think about it. He didn't.

He didn't want to remember the way he felt when Cass looked right in his eyes, the warm tingly sensation that seemed to well up in his chest every time he kissed her. Or all the things he had said and all the things he should've said. Or that night. Or the glimmer of her hair by the flickering candlelight; the ever-present fire in her eyes; the feel of her skin, smooth with beads of sweat; the low whimper that escaped her throat every time he kissed her neck; the feeling that rose up in his chest whenever she whispered his name in his ear; the irresistibly sweet taste of her kiss; or the mingled fragrance of Cass's conditioner, her soap and another unidentifiable scent that was all Cass.

What Teddy really wanted was nothing more than to forget.

The mere memory of her was enough to drive him mad. Even the happy memories plagued Teddy. Dusty visions of simplistic bliss were agonizing: hot summer days spent on Cass's seated wing, her head resting on his shoulder, her ridiculously soft hair dancing on the breeze; late night cram sessions filled with odd studying methods that actually worked, air horns to keep each other awake, and enough coffee to keep a giant buzzed for days; laughter-filled Christmas mornings with Harry, Ginny, Gram, all the kids and Cass's sisters and brothers gathered around the tree, opening presents. They haunted his every dream—and plenty of this waking moments as well—teasing him and tempting him, making him relive the moments with Cass that now would only ever exist in his mind.

So many lines had been crossed with that one night. So many boundaries had been broken down. He'd known, even in the act, that he would regret it later. But he'd wanted it so badly—needed it for so long without even realizing he did—that when Cass had even shown the remotest interest or desire, he'd seized the opportunity without even thinking.

_You roll out of bed and down on your knees _

_And for a moment you can hardly breathe _

Even sitting here, he wondered what exactly it was he'd wanted from that night. He'd justified it in the moment by telling himself that he needed to feel something after the grand finale with Vic. But the truth is that Victoire had only ever been a beautiful dream, and the idea had never really become a reality. Which is why they had kept breaking up over and over. Teddy had often found it endearing when couples played the make up and break up game, but he realized now why so few of them actually went anywhere: there was a reason they were always breaking up, and it certainly wasn't because they had a good relationship.

But—he realized as he sat there thinking it over—it had never been about Victoire. He loved Cass. The night had been about her. He wanted that night to be different from their sporadic shags—enjoyed in the privacy of a closet or bathroom or some other remarkably unromantic location—thrown in during one of his and Vic's break up periods.

He'd wanted the magic. He'd wanted the stuff of love songs. He had taken it slow, desperately slow, and handled her with the utmost gentleness. He'd looked deep into her eyes and seen everything. He'd wanted to hold her all night and wake up next to her that morning.

But what he'd really wanted was for Cass to feel what he felt.

_Wondering was she really here? _

_Is she standing in my room? _

Cass was right: once those lines had been crossed, there really was no going back, no matter what you found once you'd passed them. There would be no more carefree laughs, no more warm smiles, no more philosophic chats over a midnight breakfast, no more kisses that were supposed to mean nothing but somehow meant everything.

There was no more Cass. There were only consequences and memories of her.

And she didn't love him. All of it… as hard as he'd hoped and prayed that it had meant as much to her as it had to him… all of it meant nothing, because it had meant nothing to her. And as much as he wanted to hate her for it, as much as he wanted to despise her for all she'd done to him and all she'd let happen, he could not.

It was his own fault this was happening. He had promised it meant nothing, promised that there was no commitment or pressure. After all, he had believed that he wanted that too.

And more than all that, he couldn't hate her because she was his best friend. She was his beautiful, smart, funny, honest best friend. He loved her. And that meant that he could never hate her. Not really, anyway.

And the worst part was that as much as he wanted to forget, he couldn't, wouldn't let himself. As much as it hurt to remember Cass, the thought of forgetting her completely was unbearable. Because as little as he had at that moment, once he lost the memories that kept her alive in his mind, that would be when he really had nothing.

_No she's not _

_'Cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone _

"I'm back!" Elle called from the front door. "Have you de-constipated yourself yet?"

Teddy said nothing, only staring straight ahead.

"Oh grumpy!" she called, far too cheery as she jumped on the couch beside him. "Cheer up, would you?"

"I don't want to cheer up, don't you get it?" he snapped at her. "In the same bloody day I realized I love my best friend _and _got rejected by her! Don't pretend to understand, Elle, while you're living in your little dream world with Johnny, the world's most perfect boyfriend!"

Elle looked deeply hurt by that, her demeanor instantly dampened. Teddy immediately felt like an ass.

_When you're dreaming with a broken heart _

_The giving up is the hardest part _

"Elle…" he followed up, trying to take it back.

"Yeah, he's real perfect alright," she sighed, looking down sadly. "He left me for some tart in the Auror department."

"When was this?" he asked, shocked. As a bloke, he had prided himself on his ridiculously accurate ability to judge whether or not other blokes were good enough for his friends. He was completely dumbfounded that he had been wrong.

"About a month ago," she admitted, raising an eyebrow.

"A _month_?" he asked incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She sighed and gave him one of those knowing glances.

"I still would've wanted to know," he assured her. "Just because I'm a fucking mess doesn't mean you have to keep it to yourself."

"I told Cy," she said, half laughing, half sobbing. "He threatened to chop of his manhood and mount it on the wall."

"What did you say?" Teddy said, smiling for the first time in weeks.

"That it wouldn't match the décor," she laughed, wiping a few tears off her cheeks. She fell back into her sorrowful demeanor. "They'd been carrying on like this for a year. _A year._ And it's not as if she didn't know either. She bloody well knew the whole time."

"Why did he decide to leave now?" Teddy asked, confused as to why he'd randomly decide to break up after a year of cheating.

"Because the little skank is pregnant," Elle explained coldly, wiping her eyes. "And because he wants to marry her."

"Elle…" he said, the feeling of being a total and complete ass mounting every second. "I'm _so _sorry, I had no idea…"

"I know, Teddy," she assured him, offering a small smile. "It's not your fault."

Teddy sighed, looking down at his hands.

"What do we do now?" he asked. Elle sighed as well.

"We have to move on," Elle said softly, her face sad, solemn. Her eyes had a pain in them, as if knowing the advice she was giving Teddy was far easier said than done.

"How?" he asked desperately, the ache in his chest heaving a particularly stinging throb.

"We make ourselves pick up the pieces," she told him, her voice nearly cracking as she forced back her sobs. "We get down on our knees, and pick up the pieces of what used to be our lives."

"I… can't," he muttered, shaking his head. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and there was no relief, no relief anywhere. There was only this suffocating pain, this pain that never ceased or tired, this pain that grew out of the heart-wrenching memories of her. He wanted so terribly just to find a moment—an instant—of air, of light, of happiness. "I can't move on."

_She takes you in with her crying eyes _

_And all at once, you have to say goodbye _

"Ted, look at me," she said, grabbing his jaw. Her eyes—so filled with her pain—bore into his, so filled with his own. "I can't promise you it won't hurt like hell, because it will." She blinked back the tears. "There is nothing in the world that prepares you for this. There is no pain that is quite like this. But feeling this, Teddy," she managed to crack a smile, "it makes us human. And as humans, we just get through it. We find a way to survive. We pick up the pieces of the life we used to have and we try to put it back together. Some things won't be put back together, and other things can't, but everything else will come together."

"How do you know?" Teddy asked. Elle sighed, running a hand through her sleek dark hair.

"I don't." She looked up at him with tired, teary eyes. "I really don't know. But we'll find out together, okay? We'll get through it."

As Elle broke down into tears, Teddy held her close, protecting the only girl who had only ever been a friend, the one girl who was truly like his sister.

He'd thought that had been Cass. But the truth was, there had never been entirely platonic feelings. There had always been the potential there, the potential for something beyond the realm of friendship. Even if he hadn't known it at the time, it had been there, laying just out of sight, but always close enough.

But the two of them would get through it. Even if it killed them both, they would make it through.

_Wondering could you stay, my love? _

_Will you wake up by my side? _

_No, she can't _

_'Cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone _

"Third Year! Third Year! Third Year!" James chanted, strutting down the platform with a smug smirk plastered on his face. Teddy couldn't help but snort and roll his eyes has he watched one girl whisper excitedly to her friend as James walked by.

"Gin," Teddy said, grabbing her attention and then nodding in the girl's direction. Ginny glanced over and let out a little high pitched laugh.

"Can you say 'sa-_woon'_?" she whispered to Teddy. "I swear there's something on the damn Y chromosome in the Potter family."

"It _is _rather extraordinary," Teddy acknowledged, spotting yet another girl giggle as James passed.

"Don't act so modest," Ginny laughed. "Just cause you're not related doesn't mean it somehow hasn't rubbed off on you."

Teddy just laughed.

"Hey Teddy?"

Teddy glanced down.

"What's up, Al?"

"What happens second year?" he asked worriedly. Teddy chuckled.

"Same things that happen during first year," he told him. "How come you're so worried? You know the drill here."

"Rose is angry with me," he admitted sheepishly, looking down at his shoes.

"Girl troubles already?" Teddy asked good-naturedly. "You're too young for this."

_Now do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hands? _

"What do I do?" he asked uncertainly, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Admit you're wrong," Teddy said simply. "Even if she's completely, ridiculously wrong. Even if she told you that the moon revolves around the sun, and the earth revolves around the moon, tell her you were wrong to disagree."

"Huh," Albus said, thinking about it intently.

Just at that moment, a flash of something bright gold caught Teddy's eye. He looked up and glanced around, trying to find it. Suddenly his eyes found the source—a girl on the other end of the platform, with beautiful blonde hair and the smile that made the world go right….

Teddy felt himself frozen to the spot. He couldn't move, or think, or anything…

_Would you get them if I did? _

With inexplicable timing, Cass looked his way. Once she realized who she was looking at, she froze for a moment, just as he had.

Then, she did something unexpected.

She smiled at him.

"Girls sure are confusing, Ted," Albus declared, shaking his head.

Teddy—with his eyes still fixed on Cass, who was still smiling, as though expecting to receive a return-smile—just barely heard Albus.

"Yeah," he said, his voice distant and weak. "They sure are."

_No you won't _

_'Cause you're gone _

_

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_

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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	25. It May Be The Only Way

Guess how many reviews we're up to now???? 333, at last check! Way to go guys!

And I forgot to continue the countdown of the chapters last chapter! Last chapter there was three more, this chapter there's only TWO MORE CHAPTERS! Although, I'm gonna put a Thank You/Reviewer Awards chappy in between the penultimate and the last chapter (if it's to late for you to understand that fancy vocabulary, penultimate means "next to last"). Again, don't tell on me for putting one in. :D

Enjoy, my good reviewers!

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**Chapter 24: **

**It May Be The Only Way **

_It is so easy to see dysfunction between you and me _

_We must free up these tired souls before the sadness kills us both _

Teddy had been thinking nonstop about seeing Cass at Platform 9 ¾. He felt incredibly stupid that the thought that she just _might_ be there—seeing as she had two siblings still attending Hogwarts—hadn't even crossed his mind, but the shock was still had just as hard an impact.

Why couldn't she have just looked away, as though she were too disgusted to see him? Or scowled at him, like she was angry at him for ruining their friendship? She just _had_ to smile, and make him wonder if she hadn't meant it at all, and keep him up night after night contemplating whether or not she really _did_ love him.

As much as it had driven him mad, he had replayed that smile—that beautiful, wonderful smile—over again and again and again in his mind. He had missed it—and her—so much.

_I tried and tried to let you know, I love you but I'm letting go _

_It may not last but I don't know, just don't know _

Elle had advised him, and wisely so, to try and forget it. The two of them had been spending much more time together, so as to ease their mutual loss. For the first time in a very, very long time, he didn't have a girl friend (as in, a friend who is a girl) who was always around, and Elle—while she did not and could not replace Cass—made it easier not to think about the fact that he didn't have Cass, and it in turn made it easier for Elle not to think of Johnny.

He had wanted so badly to have the capability to comply with Elle's advice. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw that smile, the one that continued to give him hope when there was simply none…

After a while, he realized that he would not be able to get past this until he settled it with her, once and for all.

_And you don't know, 'cause you can't care _

_And you show up, but you're not there _

_But I'm waiting, and you want to, still afraid that I will desert you _

He decided to go a week or so later, after Sunday dinner with Harry, Ginny, Gram and the kids, he decided to walk over.

It was still only early September, but Teddy could feel the bite of autumn in the air. He pulled his jacket closer to him, crossing his arms over his chest.

He wondered what would happen when he spoke to her. He didn't know if she'd recant and say that she really did love him and she was just scared; or if she'd say that she never wanted to see him again; or if she'd even see him at all.

It seemed every step he took was one step further away from certainty and one step closer to the terrifying unknown. When he had left the house, he had been so sure that he needed to know, that going to Cass was the right thing to do. Now, he didn't know what was right.

_A bed that's warm with memories can heal us temporarily _

_The misbehaving only makes the ditch between us so damn deep _

Before he knew it, he was at Cass's door.

He didn't stand there like he had last time, before his and Cass's fiasco of a date. He knew if he did, he'd chicken out. Or think better of it. Either way, he couldn't let it happen.

He knocked three times very firmly.

After a few moments, the door swung open.

"Teddy?"

"Hey, Gemma," Teddy said, surprised yet relieved to see her. He hadn't heard anything about what had happened to her after he'd taken Cass home that night, so he was happy to see she was doing well. "You're looking quite well."

"I _am_ doing quite well," she smiled. "It turns out I was allergic to soy. It figures, I've never eaten soy before in my life. The Healers were just tripped up because discovering you have a serious allergy at the age of seventeen is a bit strange, but I suppose I've just never eaten anything with that in it before."

"Well, that's good," he said sincerely. "I'm glad you're doing better."

"I am as well," she returned. After that they lapsed into silence. "Er, so…" she said slowly, "I'm going to wager you didn't come here to see how I'm doing."

"No," Teddy sighed nervously. "I, erm… I was hoping I could talk to your sister."

"Oh, sure," she said, nodding. "She's up in the apartment, I'll just have her apparate down, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine," Teddy said.

Gemma closed the door and Teddy stepped off the front step, pacing back and forth with his hands in his pockets as butterflies erupted in his stomach. He was engulfed by the overwhelming desire to flee, while he still had the chance—

"Ted?"

He whirled around at the sound of her voice. It seemed like it was something out of a dream, something that didn't quite seem real…

"Oh god, it _is_ you," she breathed, rushing up to him and flinging her arms around his neck. She was so close as she embraced him, closer than he ever thought she would be to him ever again. "I missed you."

_Built a wall around my heart, I'll never let it fall apart _

_But strangely I wish secretly, it would fall down while I'm asleep _

"Cass, please don't," he sighed, using all of his will power to gently push her away. "You know why I'm here."

"No, Ted, don't say anything," she said quickly. "Please, don't talk about that right now. There's something really important I need to talk to you about."

"No, I'm serious," he said sharply. She instantly quieted at that. "I can't talk about whatever it is that's so important. I need to settle this once and for all."

She looked at him, biting her lip as the dread at what she knew would be his question.

"Do you," he said slowly, the words sending daggers into his heart with every syllable, "or don't you love me?"

She emitted a heavy sigh, covering her face with her hands.

"Cass, answer me," he said desperately, and she shook her head, not in dissent at his request, but at the whole situation. "Don't you think you owe me at least this?" She let her hands fall, revealing tear-streaked cheeks. "Answer me, Cass, please!"

"No," she said as quietly as she could, sobbing. "No, I'm not in love with you." Teddy sighed, shaking his head and despise himself for believing even for a moment that it could've been otherwise. "Ted, please, I'm sorry…"

"Do you seriously think that makes this any easier?" he asked her. "It doesn't matter that you're sorry, Cass, because you don't love me!"

"Ted, I _am_ sorry," she pleaded. "I never meant to hurt you. I didn't know, I didn't think… I didn't think you would ever love me like that…"

"I don't want your pity, Cass," he sighed, becoming annoyed with her explanations. "I don't want anything from you."

"I just…" she mumbled, sounding tentative and unsure and distinctly un-Cass-like. "I want to go back to the way things were…"

"The way things were?" Teddy asked incredulously. "You mean where we pretended nothing was different with our friendship while we occasionally fucked in the closest locked room we could get to?"

"No, I meant before _all_ of this," she said, her eyes begging him not to do this. "Before graduation."

"No, Cass," he said, shaking his head. "No. Even by some miracle we _could_ go back, it wouldn't fix this. Because the truth is, Cass, I think I've always loved you. Maybe I didn't know it, maybe I did and I didn't want to believe it, but either way I've always been in love with you. And that's probably why all my relationships have gone to shit in the end. And even if we were to go back, I still would've realized eventually that I love you, and our friendship would be shot to hell anyway."

"Ted," she started off again, sounding uncertain, but trying to reason with him anyway, "I know that you hate me, but—"

"Is that what you think?" he asked her, a rush of some impossibly strong emotion filled him to bursting. What emotion it was specifically, he couldn't say. They all seemed to blend together now. "Is that what you _honestly_ think? I _wish_ I could hate you! I wish I could wake up in the morning and think, 'Cass, what a bitch, I never want to see her ever again!' But none of that's true! I want to see you everyday, every second, all the time! I want to hate you because you broke my heart, but it's impossible! I want to hate you but it's impossible when all I can think about is how much I love you!"

_Though we have not hit the ground, it doesn't mean we're not still falling _

_I want so bad to pick you up _

_But you're still too reluctant to accept my help _

_What a shame _

_I hope you find somewhere to place the blame _

_But until then, the fact remains _

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "Ted, please! You're my best friend! I meant it when I told you I needed you!"

"I bloody need you too!" Teddy shouted. "But not the way you need me! Don't you see?! That's why I can't do this! That's why I can't be your friend anymore! Because it's not enough for me! And I'm not strong enough to be the good friend and sit back and be supportive when you finally end up with some other bloke, because deep down I'll always know that there's no way he could love you as much as I do!" He took a strangled breath. "It's sheer torture, Cass! It hurts so bloody bad to see you every day and act like I don't love you!"

Teddy finished his speech, breathing heavily at the close. They were both staring at each other desperately, both wishing things could be different but knowing that there was no other way.

_Everyday, with every worthless word we get more far away _

_The distance between us makes it so hard to stay _

It hurt, but it was the only way.

"And if you really love me, even as just a friend, you'll leave me alone."

The words seemed to hit Cass like cold water. She said nothing, but only looked at him. He always was sure she loved him as a person, and therefore she wouldn't say a word to make him stay, but her eyes—her beautiful eyes—were locked on his, silently imploring him not to go. He knew he couldn't. He turned around after that, walking back to Harry and Ginny's.

_And nothing lasts forever, but be honest babe _

She did not make a sound until she could no longer see him.

He had no idea that the moment he was out of sight, she had fallen to the ground in agony.

_It hurts, but it may be the only way _

_

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_

**REVIEW! **

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	26. Where The Real Line Lay

I'm BAAAAAaaaack...

Hah. Miss me?

So so so so so so so so SOOOOO sorry about the massive gap between the last chappy and this one. I just needed time to make this one perfect. And it's really long, so you get alot for your patience.

Okay, this is the penultimate chappy, so the next one will be the Reviewer Awards. I will try my best to thank each and everyone of you, but if--in my infinite absent-mindedness--I forget you, just know that each review is more special to me that I can even say.

Anyway, enjoy!

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**Chapter 25: **

**Where The Real Line Lay **

Six weeks.

Six weeks, a month and a half, forty-two days, any way you spun it, Teddy hadn't seen Cass for the longest stretch since he was eleven years old.

It _did _get slightly easier with time, as it turned out. But only just slightly. The truth was, the pain never really got any better; you only got better at dealing with it.

Elle and Teddy had been getting by together, both trying desperately to get over their respective exes—if you could really call Cass Teddy's ex. Elle seemed to be doing better—compared to Teddy at least. Perhaps it was because more time had past for her, perhaps it was because she was incredibly yet understandably incensed with Johnny and therefore it was easier to forget how much she had loved him (and might still possibly love him), but either way, Teddy was still far worse off than Elle.

Teddy had just gotten home from an early shift when he found Elle on her hands and knees, waging war on an individual square on Teddy's ridiculously old linoleum floor in the kitchen armed with nothing but a toothbrush and some baking soda.

"Elle…?" he asked cautiously, setting down his bag on the sofa. "Whacha doin…?"

"Cleaning," she said offhandedly, sounding as though having a sudden urge to scrub your friend's linoleum was as normal as could be. Teddy glanced at the floor to the left of Elle. It appeared to be considerably brighter and whiter than the ones to the right, giving Teddy the impression that she had individually scrubbed each square panel of linoleum in rows, working her way deeper into the kitchen.

"Okay, Elle?" he said gently, pulling her off the floor and taking the toothbrush from her hands. His tone was quite clearly reminiscent of the tone one might use when addressing a mental hospital patient. "Why are you scrubbing my floor?"

"Because it was dirty."

"Elle."

She sighed, pushing the stray strands that had not found their way into her ponytail out of her face.

"I, erm…" she attempted to explain, but failed, getting a bit frustrated with her sudden inability to articulate. "Merlin, I hate this…"

"Elle, just sit for a second," he said, ushering her into one of the stools at the island. "Now, what happened?"

"I…" she started, looking perplexed on multiple levels. "I got asked out…"

"You did?" Teddy asked, immediately concerned. "Was it someone at the research institute?"

"No," she said uncertainly, wringing her hands and eyeing the fruit bowl.

"Was it a patron at the restaurant?"

"No…"

"Who was it then?"

She sighed again, tilting her head as her finger traced the lines of grout in the countertop tiles.

"Joaquin…" she elaborated, still not making eye contact.

Joaquin Vega was a dead man.

"Whoa, there!" Elle said, diving in front of the door before Teddy could storm out of it. Her arms were spread over the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To personally kick Joaquin's pretty boy ass," Teddy said firmly, trying to get past Elle.

"No you're not!" she insisted, her hands on her hips. "I said yes!"

"You WHAT?!" Teddy asked incredulously. "Why'd you do that?!"

Elle raised her pointer finger to him and opened her mouth to respond with what Teddy was sure would be a very witty, biting comeback. But apparently he was wrong, because after a moment she simply closed her mouth and lowered her hand.

"I don't know," she said weakly, sighing and going to the couch, where she promptly plopped down as though she had just run a mile.

"Elle," he said, following her to the couch. Women and their confusing-ness… "What's the matter?"

"Oh, who bloody knows?" she said frustratedly, looking up at the ceiling.

"Okay," Teddy said, trying to remain patient. "Do you _want_ to go on a date with Joaquin?"

"Well…" she said, looking extremely sheepish. "Yeah…"

"Then what's the problem?" he asked, feeling like he was missing something.

"I…" she started, thinking intently. "I don't… trust him. How many women have we watched traipse out of here after a night with him?"

Teddy looked at Elle, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

"What?" she asked, noticing the look on his face.

"You really like him, huh?" he said.

"No!" she snapped at Teddy, crossing her arms over her chest. Teddy rolled his eyes at her knowingly. She sighed. "Yeah…" she said defeatedly. "I dunno. It's too soon, right?"

"Elle, Johnny didn't _die_," he assured her. "He was a lying scumbag who thought it would be better to impregnate the village broom rather than stay with an amazingly beautiful, smart woman." Elle smiled gratefully. "You don't have to worry about other people's judgment calls about whether or not it's too soon. What do you think?"

"I'm not over John," she sighed. "Not completely anyway."

"That's okay," Teddy said reassuringly. "It doesn't mean you can't get out there."

"Really?" she asked, smiling hesitantly. "Okay." She leaned over and hugged Teddy. "Thanks."

---

"You're a dead man."

Teddy pinned Joaquin against the hospital wall, his wand at his throat.

"What're you doing, mate!" Joaquin responded indignantly, eyeing Teddy's wand cautiously.

"I told you to leave her alone!" Teddy said menacingly. "Did you need me to act it out for you?"

"I didn't break them up, that bastard of an ex-boyfriend did!" Joaquin shot back. "And all I did was ask her to coffee, that's it!"

"She's bloody fragile, you great insensitive prat!" Teddy shouted. "When I got back to the flat, she was cleaning the kitchen floor with a damned toothbrush! She's a nervous wreck right now! Don't you think that maybe—just maybe—it would've been better to just wait a bit?!"

"I tried!" Joaquin yelled at him, getting more and more angry with him. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but I bloody well tried to stay away!"

"Then why _didn't_ you!" Teddy growled, pressing his wand into his neck harder.

"Because I bloody love her!"

Teddy released him from shock, looking at him incredulously.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Teddy shouted at him. "You don't _love_ her! You barely _know_ her!"

"Oh, yeah?" Joaquin asked spitefully. "I know that she has six brothers and sisters—aside from Cy—named Mira, Corinna, Jack, Finn, Natasha and Thomas. I know she can kick _anyone's_ ass at one-on-one Quidditch. I know that she likes to act tough, but she's actually a huge softie. I know that whenever she comes to see you at the hospital, she always visits the nursery and watches the newborns for hours, if she has the time. I know that her sole weakness is designer pumps, and her favorite food is apple pie with vanilla-caramel swirl ice cream. I know she thinks she's fat, even though that's probably the farthest thing from the truth." Joaquin sighed, shaking his head. "I also know that she's probably the most real person I've ever met. I know that I can't go more than a few minutes without thinking about what she's doing. I know that when she laughs or smiles—especially when I _make_ her laugh or smile—I feel like I'm doing something right. I know she is beautiful and amazing and fucking stubborn and frustrating a lot of the time, and I lay awake at night picturing the white picket fence and the little dog and a mess of kids and all that."

Joaquin looked down at his shoes, appearing extremely unsettled and unsure and just plain frustrated.

"I don't know how and I don't know why, but I am madly in love with that woman," he said desperately. Teddy looked at him, trying to sense whether or not he was sincere.

Teddy sighed.

"Okay," he said, resigned. "Okay, but lay a hand on her—_any_way you can construe that—and I'll send Cyrus after you."

"I won't," he said.

"Good," Teddy said, falling into his thoughts. He eyes, previously on the floor, looked up to Joaquin's. "I have to get back before Elle starts scrubbing our shower."

"Okay," Joaquin said cautiously, as though at any moment, Teddy would change his mind and suddenly become enraged all over again. "I'll see you later, mate."

Teddy only nodded.

There was a distant part of his mind that told him he should be happy; he should be happy that his friends were—for the most part—happy and were growing and moving on.

But he could not.

He couldn't help but wish there was someone still here with him, someone who not only recognized his pain but understood it because they carried it with them as well. He had believed Elle was still there with him, in this abyss where you felt everything and nothing simultaneously, but she had passed through, to the other side. She had found the way out, and he was still groping about in pitch black darkness, trying to feel for the doorknob. And she could no longer whisper him instructions to find it, to follow her out. He was desperately and completely alone, and he would have to find his way out on his own.

He had to move on. Even if it killed him, he had to move on.

---

"How do I look?"

Teddy sighed, looking up from the _Daily Prophet _for the umpteenth time to—once again—help Joaquin, whom Teddy had now donned with the nickname "Señor Metrosexual", decide if his hair was laying properly.

"Lovely," Teddy said in a monotone, immediately glancing back down at the _Prophet _to continue reading the article he had been reading. "Glowing, even."

"What would I do if you weren't here, spreading your sarcasm about?" Joaquin said, grabbing his tie off the .

"Fine, how's this?" Teddy said, setting down the paper for good, seeing as he wouldn't be able to properly read it until Joaquin had left. "You look absolutely terrible. Your eyes are too damned close together and your hair is too long and I can't for the life of me imagine why on earth Elena Parker would ever in her right want to go out with someone who was so aesthetically deficient."

"Thanks, mate," Joaquin said, chuckling a bit as he fastened his tie.

"Aren't you a bit dressed up just for coffee?" Teddy noted, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully.

"You think?" he said, suddenly looking very nervous as he glanced over his outfit. "Maybe I should change…"

"No, Joaquin—" Teddy began to backtrack just before the doorbell rang. "Listen, I'm getting the door," Teddy explained, removing Joaquin's hands from the tie as he began to undo it in an attempt to make himself less dressed-up. "Leave your clothes alone—I was only joking—and come out when you're ready."

Teddy exited Joaquin's room and hurried down the stairs as the doorbell rang again, quickly making his way across the room and opening the door.

"Hey Teddy," Elle said, entering into the apartment.

"Hey Elle," he said, closing the door behind her.

The first thing that struck Teddy was how blatantly nervous Elle was. Elle had many strange sides: anxious wreck who cleaned when she was unsettled Elle; 'Teddy-I'm-so-mad-at-you-I'm-going-to-rip-your-nuts-off' Elle; heartbroken dumpee with an insatiable appetite for anything that contained chocolate, caramel, or copious amounts of sugar Elle; and even passive-aggressive brooding Elle who gets easily offended because you previously fucked up big with her. However, nervous, jittery, butterflies-in-her-stomach Elle was a new one.

The second thing that struck Teddy was that Elle was at an almost identical level of dressiness that Joaquin was, wearing a white, collared, button-down shirt, a pencil skirt and a pair of pumps that were distinctly un-corporate, giving Teddy the impression she had brought them to change into before her date. The formal nature of her outfit made Teddy understand why Joaquin had gotten so dressy. He was beginning to have faith in that man after all.

"A bit dressed up, aren't we?" Teddy said, hoping to get a bit of entertainment at Elle's expense. It worked like a charm: an instant later, her eyes shot down to her outfit frantically.

"Oh my gosh," she exclaimed in the tone that Teddy instantly associated with Elle, even when it was used by others. Her eyes were wide with horror. "Oh crap! I thought this would be fine, I mean, I just got of work at the institute, I didn't have time to go back home and get dressed—"

She had finally noticed that Teddy was collapsing into silent but hysterical laughter.

"I HATE you!" she shouted at him, fighting and failing to keep the smile off her face. When he continued laughing, she silenced him by resoundly whacking his head with one of the couch pillows.

"You are so easy to get," Teddy sighed, removing the pillow from his facial region.

"I still hate you," she said rather maturely, crossing her arms over her chest.

Just then Joaquin came down the stairs.

"Hey," he said to Elle with a surprisingly sincere-looking smile. Usually, when accompanied by one of his 'women', he wore a smile that was highly reminiscent of a used broom salesman; so suffice it to say that Teddy was pleased when there was a noticeable difference in the way Joaquin had treated his 'women' and how he was treating Elle. In true magician form, he pulled a bouquet of Casablanca lilies—which Teddy knew to be Elle's favorite. "These are for you."

"Oooo, my panties are already flying off," Elle said in completely uninterested monotone as she took the flowers with disdain. Teddy rolled his eyes. To the untrained eye, this would appear to be Elle showing a complete and utter lack of interest in Joaquin. To Teddy, having known Elle as long as he had, this was the ultimate proof of Elle's feelings for Joaquin. She was only a bitch to the blokes she was crazy about. And guessing from the pleased smile on Joaquin's face, he was fully aware of this fact. "So where are we going, again?"

"You'll see," he said confidently. "Shall we go?"

"Sure," she sighed, feigning a lack of enthusiasm as she went for the door.

"Oh and Teddy," Joaquin said just before he left. He pointed his wand up the stairs and muttered, "Accio _Prophet_." After a few seconds, the paper flew down the stairs in a flutter. Joaquin caught it and handed it to Teddy. "Sorry for interrupting you."

"No problem," he said. "Keep your hands to yourself and little Joaquin in your pants."

"Hey!" Joaquin said, mock-indignantly as he was just about to step out of the door. "There's _nothing_ little about him."

"Thanks for sharing," Teddy said, trying not to laugh.

Once the door shut behind the two of them, Teddy shook his head and chuckled as he went into the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of black coffee, he proceeded to finish reading the article.

_No word yet on whether the Minister will hold a press conference to discuss the suspected interdepartmental abuse, but a source close to the Minister insists that he has the utmost confidence in Mr. Collins. _

_Meanwhile, Ms. Lewis insists that despite the lack of support from the Minister, she is still innocent. _

_"The truth will come out in time," she maintains. "When all is said and done, the truth will come out." _

_-Cassandra Devereaux _

Teddy sighed as he let his eyes drift over her byline over and over again. Unwillingly, he thought back to when they were only a couple of kids…

_"You're such an old lady," Teddy joked as he pushed Cass's legs out of his sitting space on her swing. "Reading the newspaper. You're only fifteen. Shouldn't you be chasing boys and fixing your make up?" _

_"Love the stereotypes, Ted," Cass responded, blowing her bangs out of her eyes as she released a breath. Her eyes never left that day's edition of the _Daily Prophet_. "On that note, shouldn't you be off smuggling dirty magazines and bragging to your mates about what you've done sexually?" _

_"Touché," he said, sitting down beside her. "So. What's going on in the wizarding world today?" _

_"Shacklebolt pardoned some ex-Death Eater," she said, turning the page. "Foolish, if you ask me. I'd've thrown his arse in Azkaban for the rest of his days." _

_"Oh merciful one," Teddy laughed, sipping iced tea. The summer day was hot, very hot. Balmy too. He pushed his sweaty blue hair off of his forehead. "Anything else?" _

_"Apparently," Cass said as she took Teddy's iced tea and took a hearty sip before claiming it as her own, "we're in the midst of a heat wave." _

_"You're kidding," Teddy said, feigning shock. "I had no clue." _

_"Me neither," Cass joined, laughing. Her smile faded very slowly, never completely disappearing as she closed the paper, staring intensely at the front-page story. _

_"My story's gonna be right here one day," she said, looking very sure as the smile faded back onto her face. _

_She looked up at him with a smile so hopeful, the kind of look Teddy had never seen her wear. He smiled. _

_"Of course you will." _

Teddy clenched his jaw and sniffed.

She had always been so sure about things like that. Most attributed it to her Inner Eye, but Teddy had always known that it was something much more rare than that. It wasn't even faith. It a confidence. She simply knew she could—and would—do it. He had always been proud of her for it—even jealous.

But now he realized that she hadn't just had confidence in her future achievements. Cass, with her nearly infallible intuition and her natural talent for Seeing, must have seen this—_all_ of this—coming. The future to Teddy had always been some hazy illusion, as far off and unreal as the stars. Not so for Cass. The future was Cass's domain, where she always dwelled. It was as much a part of her as the present; as much a part of her as the past was of Teddy.

She had known this was coming. She hadn't wanted to believe it—just as he hadn't once he realized—but she had known all the same, and a lot farther ahead of time, he was convinced.

That's why she wanted it to be friends with benefits. That's why she had been so damn planned and methodical and calculated about the whole thing. She had known that they couldn't survive just going back and pretending it hadn't happened, not after the kiss. She had simply concocted this whole plan to keep them together for while they could.

Becuase it was only a matter of time.

He was tired of being miserable all the time. He wished he could at least enjoy the happy times he remembered with her without fighting off the urge to cry.

He set down the paper and went upstairs. Arriving at his room, he was immediately irked by the messy state of his bedroom. Determined to get his mind off of Cass, he started to make his bed.

"Sonaofabitch!" Teddy yelped, accidentally kneeling on something small and hard and pointy, like some sort of sharp rock. In the pain, he fell onto his back and groaned.

Regrouping, he set himself upright and searched for the cause of the very localized, now-throbbing pain in his knee. He glanced around, his eyes catching something yellow and shiny… it was a cocktail ring in an oversized, emerald-cut yellow gem set in white gold…

Cass's mother's ring…

Teddy sighed.

He picked up the ring and held it between his forefinger and thumb, twisting it and examining it from every angle, every light. It was beautiful.

Without any warning, Cass's image—the most beautiful one he could remember, from that amazing night—forced its way into his head. The image was as clear as if she were right before him, her skin on his skin, her fingers entangled in his hair, her eyes so very beautiful and special and wonderful. He could almost smell her hair.

Shouting in indignation, Teddy hurled the ring across the room like a speeding bullet, and it hit the wall, dropping to the ground like a wounded bird. It seemed to lay so pitifully on the floor.

Teddy felt a lot of things. But the one thing he could not seem to escape was the feeling of desperation.

There was nothing. No chance. And she was bloody everywhere. Everywhere he looked, everywhere he went, any time, day or night, she was there. But she didn't love him. And she never would. And they would never be together, in any sense of the word.

The ring glistened on the floor, and Teddy could not suppress the urge to cry when he looked at it and thought about its beautiful, amazing owner who would never be his.

Teddy grabbed a small box out of the junk drawer in his nightstand. Going over and kneeling down to scoop up the ring, he placed it inside the box.

Just like its owner, this ring did not belong to him.

Teddy knocked on the door.

Then he simply stood there on the front step, realizing with a jolt that he had never believed he would ever be here again.

With another, more uncomfortable jolt, he wondered how many more times he would keep coming back.

"Teddy?"

"Josie, hi," Teddy said quickly. He was suddenly extremely nervous and he didn't know why. She eyed him cautiously. "I, erm… I… Cass left this at my apartment a while ago, and I only just realized it was there."

He pulled the box out of his coat pocket, and handing the box to Josie. She crinkled her eyebrow a bit in confusion, shooting him a puzzled look before glancing back down at the box. Slowly, she set her hand on the lid, and gently revealed its contents by pulling off the lid.

As soon as she saw the ring the puzzlement slid from her face, replaced by realization. She nodded her head, her eyes still locked on the ring, as if she understood.

"I'll be sure to give it to her," she said quietly, looking back up at Teddy. The empathy was blaringly apparent in this look. She knew that this truly would be the last time he would be coming around. She extended her arms out to him in a hug. "Goodbye, Teddy."

"Bye, Josie," he said, returning the hug. He pulled away slowly, and took a couple steps back. He savored the moment. It would be his last here.

He turned around and walked away.

"Teddy?" Josie called. He sighed, turning around slowly. "What _really_ happened? With you and Cass?"

Teddy sighed, feeling the weight of the pain settle uncomfortably in his chest.

"You tell me," he shrugged sadly. "You're related to her, you could probably guess better than I could."

"Related?" she repeated. He look struck by the word. "What are you on about?"

Teddy's suspicions immediately shot up.

"Aren't you Cass's aunt?"

"Aunt?" Josie asked, perplexed. "I'm not their aunt, I'm their nanny."

"Nanny?" Teddy repeated, equally confused. "Cass told me that you were her aunt."

A sweeping look of dawning comprehension came over Josie's face.

"Oh," she said on the exhale. She looked at him for a few moments, trying to decide whether or not to say what she wanted to say, then shut the door behind her. "Sit. We should talk."

"Uh. Alright…" Teddy said uneasily, sitting down on the stoop beside Josie.

"Cass…" she started off, only halfway through her thought process. She had a pensive look on her face as she caught up. "Well, I'm sure you've noticed Cass has a tendency to be guarded."

"Guarded?" he said incredulously. "The woman keeps a proverbial mile between herself and the rest of the world."

"Point taken," Josie said, shooting him a look that clearly said, 'Let me finish my story, dammit.' "Like I was saying, she's distant. Sometimes to the point where she doesn't trust other people with the truth."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"For starters, Cass has no aunts or uncles," she explained. "No grandparents either. I am a hired nanny, and I used to take care of the kids after Cass left for Hogwarts. She paid me with the inheritance that her parents left her. Now I'm just a family friend and I occasionally help out with Ava and Lulu."

"So her parents really are dead, right?" he inquired. "They're not actually lurking around in there?"

"Her father is." Josie nodded. "Her mother… god, she could be anywhere now. She left when Cass was about ten, and her poor old Dad couldn't take it. The healers said it was heart failure."

"But there's a potion for that—"

"It didn't work," Josie explained quietly, shaking her head. "It happens. It turns out it wasn't degenerate heart failure, it was an ultra rare case called 'Broken Heart Syndrome'."

"You're kidding right?" Teddy said incredulously.

"It's a real condition, Ted," she insisted. "The impact of some sort of emotional trauma actually can weaken the heart. Either way, he died."

"Why did her mom leave?" he asked. A whole other world of truth was opening up to him and he felt himself falling into it, without much—if any—of his own consent.

"Said she wasn't happy," she said simply, shrugging. "That she was done with the marriage and done with the children, and so she up and left. That's how Cass remembers it, at least."

Neither spoke for a minute or two.

"Cass doesn't really feel like everyone else does," Josie started off, looking at him. "It's not really even voluntary anymore, her heart has simply learned to shut things out."

"Why though?" he asked desperately. He just didn't understand… "I was always there with her, she didn't have to be so alone…"

"Teddy, when disappointment is all you know, you learn never to be disappointed," she said slowly and emphatically. Her gaze met his with intensity. "And that is all she's ever known."

Teddy said nothing for a moment, letting all of this sink in.

"If you've ever heard Cass talk about a line," she began again, Teddy perking up immediately, "the truth that the line isn't conceptual, drawn in the vastness of space to separate the right and wrong, good and bad." She paused for a moment. "It's to separate her from the rest of the world. The line that you thought she drew for propriety was drawn to protect her from what you could make her feel."

And it all made sense.

"And Teddy," she added, drawing his attention back to her. "There's something I need to tell you. Cass told me not to, but she doesn't know what's good for her right now."

"Why, what is it?" he asked. Whatever it was, he knew it must be what she wanted to talk to him about when he'd come over that day to clear things up. Why hadn't he simply listened, why hadn't he just shut the bloody hell up…

"Before I tell you," she started off furtively, leaning in a bit closer, "I don't know if Cass really is in love with you. I can't guarantee you anything. But right now, she's up in her flat taking a test, and I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that she'd probably like you to be with her right now."

"What do you mean, taking a test?" Teddy asked, frustrated by her secretive demeanor. Josie eyed him with a knowing sort of look, as if to say, "C'mon, it doesn't take that much brain power."

"Think about it, Teddy."

* * *

**REVIEW! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**mmb**


	27. Reviewer Awards

**Hello, my adoring fans!!!!!!!!**

**Alright... so. The end is near, I'm afraid. Only one more chapter to go. Sad, right? **

**Wrong! I mean, it is a LITTLE sad. But c'mon, it's been a fun ride right? And there is the sequel to remember!**

**Anyway. We're not here to discuss the sequel, although feel free to review and ask questions about it! Lol. **

**We're here to honor the best reviewers! **

**But before I start with the awards, let me dole out my appreciation to you all.**

**The Fine Line was not my first story, as most of you have probably noticed. It took about nine others before I got to this one, each other a little less unsuccessful than the last. Suffice it to say, I have never gotten such a reviewer response ever. And I just wanted to say--for the millionth time--that I SO appreciate it. And I hope that you all will continue to review, even into the sequel. **

**OKAY! Let the awards begin!**

**Most Consecutive Reviews:**

**Third Place: 5redroses with 14 reviews in a row!  
Second Place: Lupin4Tonks with 15 reviews in a row!  
First place: Kaleidoscopicepic with a whopping 17 reviews! Congrats!**

**Longest Review:**

**This category was blown away by my lovely reviewer, Thirteenth.Scepter! Her longest review (there were plenty of long ones) weighed in at a whopping 371 words! Which is why...**

**Most Substantial Reviewer:**

**Tie here. Three way tie, to be exact. Thirteenth.Scepter and Chelsea (aka, my anonymous reviewer "Me")! Congrats ppl! Thanks for more than the average "Update soon!"**

**Most Reviews:**

**Okay, apparently I'm an effing retard and I can't record the reviews correctly, but things seem to be a bit off. But with my best guess here are the winners:**

**1st: Me (Chelsea)- 26 & Jack'N'SallyGal- 26  
2nd: Anonymous Marauder-24 & Lupin4Tonks-24  
3rd: Lyny Angell-20**

**Favorite Flamer Award:**

**This reviewer is not TECHNICALLY a flamer (and by that I mean they have not given me any _true_ flame reviews), but they are one of the only people to ever criticize me in a review, and I give her props for it! Way to stand up for your opinion, Crimson Courreges!**

**Most Flattering Reviewer:**

**The winner of this award is in actuality not a reviewer, since she has never actually submitted a real review to this story. But ever since she has known about this story, she has been PMing and emailing me on a regular basis with praise and encouragement. She has even been granted permission to use Cass in a roleplaying thingamabob she's involved with. So thank you for being the biggest ego-boost ever... OmoiTohoHana! Congrats!**

**Favorite Reviewer Who Has My Middle Name**

**Okay, this one's just for fun. :D **

**Congrats to A.Mess.Of.Flaws., cuz her name is Alix and that's my middle name! (Even spelled the same.) **

**(Okay, back to the real awards.)**

**Most Vocal Ted/Vic Shipper:**

**To be honest I didn't go back and check all the reviews for this award, but the one person who sticks out in my mind most is... Lyny Angell! Who must have asked me a MILLION times when I was going to get Vic and Ted back together. Sorry to disappoint, Lyn! Luv ya anyway.**

**First Ted/Cass Shipper:**

**To give my name-sister a REAL award, this one goes out to A.Mess.Of. Flaws. who, immediately after chapter 3, declared that Ted and Cass were meant to be. Way to have foresight!**

**OKAY! **

**That's all I've got, folks. **

**Alright. The final chapter is all written, so it will be up very soon. **

**OH! One final thing. I need you all to vote, right now, on whether or not you want a sequel. And not just a follow up thing, like an epilogue. I would love to make a sequel, but not if you guys don't want one. **

**So yeah. Review and vote.**

**See you soon.**

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	28. True

**So. **

**This is the end, folks. **

**Now, as you know there are two very important questions that need answering. **

**The question is:**

**Will they be answered?**

**Put me on your author alert so that you can get the alert when I post the sequel.**

**Review, my minions. Review.**

**Love you all.**

**mmb

* * *

**

**Chapter 26: **

**True **

_I won't talk _

_I won't breathe _

_I won't move till you finally see _

_You belong with me _

Teddy's eyes widened.

He said nothing as the shock washed over him.

"You mean…" he muttered.

"You know _exactly _what I mean," Josie said emphatically. Teddy sighed. He didn't know what he was thinking, or what he was supposed to do.

"You love her, eh?" she asked him softly.

"Yeah," he mumbled, nodding. His face was blank with astonishment. "Yeah, I really do."

Josie looked at him again. The expression was familiar, like she was again trying to decide whether she should tell him whatever it was she was thinking about.

"I know that loving Cass isn't easy," Josie started off. "But to be honest, once you're there, there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Fighting it is almost harder than feeling it. Loving Cass—romantically or otherwise—is something special, because very few get close enough to fall in love with her." He did not dare meet her eyes, because he knew if he did, he would not be able to pretend he was strong anymore. "I know she's hurt you. But if you really can't live without her, then she might be worth one last shot."

Teddy finally looked at her, because being strong didn't matter anymore.

There was only one thing that mattered.

Understanding the look in his eyes, Josie smiled.

"Go get her."

_You might think I don't look _

_But deep inside _

_The corner of my mind _

_I'm attached to you _

Teddy rose from the step, a sense of purpose sending tingly meaningfulness through his entire body.

He was an idiot for letting himself believe there was another chance, and he knew it. But he couldn't stop himself. Even if he could physically bring himself to walk away from here, he wouldn't anyway. He had to see. Once and for all. He had to see if she really loved him. If she didn't, then he was only back where he started. And if she did…

_I'm weak _

_It's true _

_'Cause I'm afraid to know the answer _

_Do you want me too? _

_'Cause my heart keeps falling faster… _

So many thoughts were bolting through his mind.

He supposed—more than anything else—that he should be angry with Cass. She had lied. She had kept an entire half of her life from him. She _might_ have lied about not loving him.

Yet even as he told himself this, none of them seemed to reverberate much. Yes, they were true. But what did they really matter? This morning he'd been lamenting the love that would never be reciprocated, and now he was hoping for one that would. She had lied, and that was true. But when he thought about the hope that was now filling him, he didn't care.

We all lie, he thought. Cyrus pretended that he didn't get tired of all the meaninglessness: the job, the women, everything. Elle acted like she didn't like Joaquin. Joaquin was always happy, or so it seemed. He himself stayed with people who were so obviously wrong for him.

Why? They all had the same reason. They were afraid.

The truth can set you free, but you have to know it first. The only problem lies in whether or not you get the truth you want.

Cyrus pretended to be satisfied with the way things were because he was afraid if he actually strived for something, he'd only be disappointed. Elle didn't want to act the way she actually felt because she didn't want to look like a fool if it went south. Joaquin acted like nothing was ever wrong, because the more he pretended, the more real it seemed.

And himself? He wasted time with women—ones he loved and ones he only wished he did—who would never be anything more than something exciting and fleeting, because the truth was he was afraid of anything lasting. Afraid of something that involved a real commitment of any kind. Afraid of getting attached to something—or someone—who wasn't permanent.

_You don't know what you do _

_Every time you walk into the room _

_I'm afraid to move _

They all lied because they were afraid—not of the truth itself, but of knowing it and realizing that they didn't like it.

That's why Cass had lied. Her grandparents and extended family was gone. Then her mom ran off. Then her dad died. She was afraid of loving one more person who could leave her. So she lied about it. About what she felt. Because she thought there was no one left to protect her, and the responsibility therefore felt to herself, and no one else.

He wished she knew that it didn't have to be so.

Lines, like the one that Cass had insisted was the secret to everything, didn't really exist. There was no line between right and wrong, or good and bad. There was right, wrong and a whole bunch of gray in between. Same with good and bad. Same with friend and more.

Well, Teddy reasoned, there actually was a point where you became simply too close to one end of the spectrum that you couldn't in good faith call yourself the opposite. At some point, 'almost right' became 'completely wrong', and 'pretty good' became 'kinda bad'. The truth was, what was actually impossible was knowing for sure where it was.

And more than that, when you had a pretty good idea where the line was, sometimes crossing the line was better than simply accepting the complacency of safety you found where you were. No, the grass wasn't always greener on the other side, but sometimes it was still better to take the risk, just to remind yourself that you could.

The other truth was that it didn't really matter.

That was what love did to you: it weeded out all the things that seemed like they were important, but really weren't.

_I'm weak _

_It's true _

_'Cause I'm just scared to know the ending _

_Do you see me too? _

_Do you even know you met me? _

As he thought about the other uncertainty in his mind, he realized that it paled in comparison. Yes, he was racked with anxiety about the results. But… whatever came, he'd deal with it. Either way, he'd be fine.

But knowing whether or not Cass's heart belonged to him—just as his would always belong to her—was the answer he needed.

Teddy burst through the door with a loud clatter, quickly spotting Cass on the couch, her legs pulled up to her chest and crying.

"Oh Cass," he said, coming up beside her on the couch and pulling her to him. "Oh Cassie, it's okay…"

"What am I gonna do, Ted?" she sobbed into his chest. "What am I gonna do…"

"It's all okay," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "You're gonna be fine."

"I can't do this!" she said, clinging to his shirt. "I can't have a baby! What am I gonna do? I'm alone and bitter and cold and I pregnant, I know it."

"You're not bitter or cold, and you're not alone," Teddy said, smiling to himself. Just this morning, he'd been resigning himself to the fact that he would never see her again. Now, here he was: so very close to her, his arms wrapped around her, the scent of jasmine filling his lungs. "I'm here."

She quieted at that. She pulled out of his embrace gently, and looked at him.

"You came," she said softly, sniffing. She said it as if she had only just realized this.

"I came," Teddy repeated, smiling as he recalled that day when they'd said the same thing, only reversed.

"Why?" Cass smiled, remembering it too.

"I dunno. You're still my best friend, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she laughed, smiling that smile he'd fallen in love with.

"And you're still mine?"

Cass heaved a sob as she smiled.

"Of course."

Teddy looked into her eyes for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between hers with a small, uncertain grin on his face.

"You lied to me. About your family." Teddy glanced down at Cass's stomach. "And about you."

She smile slowly slid off her face, leaving it looking a bit vacant and fearful.

"I know," she said, looking down and sighing. "I just… I couldn't… I didn't…"

"I know," he assured her softly. "You don't have to explain. I understand." He looked around. "Where's the test?"

"In the bathroom," she sniffed, casting a glance at the bathroom door. "The timer rang a few minutes ago, but I just can't bring myself to go look at it."

"You know I'll be here, right?" he told her, gently taking her face in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Whether or not you really are… you know."

"I know," she whispered, nodding as she fought back tears. "I know…"

She leaned in and kissed him the way she had that fateful night, so slow and meaningful and wonderful, and then pulled away to rest her forehead against his, sighing sweetly.

_I've waited all my life _

_To cross this line _

_To the only thing that's true _

_So I will not hide _

_It's time to try _

_Anything to be with you _

_All my life I've waited… _

"I love you, Ted."

Teddy opened his eyes at that. He pulled back from Cass and looked at her for a moment.

"What did you say?"

She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes as if to say, "Oh, come _on_."

"You're really gonna make me say it again?" she asked, chuckling a bit. "You're really gonna make me, the poor, emotionally stunted girl, say that _again_?"

"Stop being so bloody dramatic," Teddy told her, smiling. She paused for a moment.

"I said, I love you, Ted Lupin," she said, crying and smiling and feeling a million different things at once. "And I'm sorry I lied. And I don't want to be your plan B anymore."

He looked at her. Half of himself wouldn't let him believe it. But that part was steadily getting smaller and smaller, being pushed out by the immense emotion filling every space in him.

"Cass, I _love_ you," he whispered. He planted a kiss on her lips, and as he was lost in the taste of her and the perfect moment, he pictured a million sunlit mornings. A million sweet kisses. A million moonlit nights. A million 'I love you's.

"And you were never my plan B. Not really."

_This is true _


End file.
